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The Church in The World

Top house church leader arrested in China

BARTLESVILLE, Okla., December 10 (VOM News)—One of the most prominent Chinese House Church leaders, Pastor Zhang Rongliang, was arrested on December 1, 2004.

According to VOM sources, 53-year-old Pastor Zhang was arrested in a rented apartment at Xuzhai village, Zhengzhou city, Henan province at about 1 p.m. One eyewitness said a Volkswagen car which apparently belongs to the Ministry of State Security had been parked near that apartment before Zhang's arrest. The license plate is given as Yu-A (illegible number) 0191.

Zhang's wife and children were not at home when the arrest occurred; they were able to escape and are now in hiding. The apartment was searched and all Pastor Zhang's Christian DVDs, materials and photos revealing relationships with foreigners and foreign agencies were confiscated. According to reliable sources, on the evening of December 1, Xuzhai village was surrounded by police and every house was searched. It is believed that pastor Zhang's wife and children were the targets of the search.

Mr. Gao Shunping, who helped pastor Zhang get an ID so that he could travel, also disappeared. At least three house churches at Fangcheng area were raided last week after Zhang's arrest, including the house of Ms. Xiao Min's parents. Xiao Min has been sought by the authorities because of her prolific writing of Chinese worship songs known as "Canaan Hymns."

There has been no communication with Pastor Zhang since his arrest, but it is believed that he is in custody in the Zheng Zhou area of Henan Province. Zhang is the leader of the Fangcheng Mother Church, Henan and the leader of the China

for Christ Church, which is one of the largest house church networks in China, estimated to have more than 10 million members. He has been well known by the international community as one of the house church patriarchs. He is a coauthor of the House Churches of China's Confession of Faith and Declaration, which was published in 1999. He has been featured in a number of international articles and books, including "Jesus in Beijing" (2003) by former TIME journalist David Aikman, Newsweek (12th May 2004), TIME magazine, Charisma and Christianity Today.

Pastor Zhang has already spent twelve years in prison for his faith during five separate detentions since his secret baptism in 1969. He experienced harsh torture, including electric shocks, during his prison terms.

His arrest comes in the midst of a serious crackdown on China's house churches. In addition to a generally worsening situation and increased arrests, it is reported that there is now a disinformation campaign, similar to that used against the Falun Gong before the major crackdown against them. In recent weeks, the Chinese government has launched an international media propaganda campaign. It was reflected from articles both in an overseas pro-China website called DUOWEI news and the New York Times. The articles portrayed house churches as secret religious fanatics who even commit murder in the fight for new membership.

It is believed that the Chinese government purposely provided misleading and untrue information to these news outlets by linking the house church with a criminal group disguised as religion called Eastern Lightning.

VOM sources fear that Zhang could be in for harsh treatment by police. As the leader of a large house-church network, he could be classified as an evil cult leader. Police are also seeking Zhang's two sons, and could put pressure on him to give information about them and about the activities of other church leaders.

"Christians in China love their country; they pray for their government leaders," said Nettleton. "They simply ask for the right to worship God as they see fit. We urge Christians around the world to pray for Pastor Zhang and other Christians in China, and to protest to the Chinese government." — Tom Nettleton, Voice of the Martyrs (
www. persecution.com).

Dutse, Nigeria, November 30 (Compass) — Police authorities have arrested 10 Muslim militants in Dutse, the capital of the state of Jigawa in northern Nigeria, for perpetrating an attack on a team of Christian evangelists on Tuesday, November 23. The incident reportedly caused two deaths and left at least 20 people with injuries.

According to police, the militants' aggressive action against the New Life For All gospel team provoked a violent clash with local Christians. Other Muslims reportedly joined in the fray, siding with the Christians against the militant group.
Police prosecution officer Yerima Inuwa told a Dutse magistrate court on Thursday, November 25, that the Muslim militants have been charged with breaching public peace under sections 113 and 248 of the penal code.

According to the police officer, the 10 heavily armed militants attacked the Christian evangelistic team and members of the public during an open air preaching event. Fighting then apparently broke out between the militants and moderate Muslim bystanders who voiced their disapproval of the militants' attack on the Christians and the fundamentalist beliefs that provoked it.

TSS

January / February 2005 The Sabbath Sentinel