Twenty Nine Chinese House Church Leaders Arrested

Twenty nine house church leaders were arrested in Henan Province, China this week during a gathering at a believer’s house.

In Henan Province’s Xiapigang Village in Dungang Town Xincai County, police reportedly raided a house church leadership meeting with 100 major church leaders from Henan and Anhui Province on Dec. 12 at 7:30 pm (Beijing Time). According to reports, the house church leaders were arrested by 40 police officers with eight police vehicles.

In addition to arresting the house church leaders, the police also confiscated three motor bicycles, one cell phone, and all luggage as well as winter blankets.

Leaders had gathered to discuss how the house churches can effectively help a large group of peasants who had contracted AIDS. The peasants are from an area internationally known as “the AIDS Disaster Area” where peasants became infected when they sold their blood to local blood centers that were contaminated with the AIDS virus.

According to one pastor who was at the raided meeting, the police showed a search warrant and stated the meeting was an “illegal religious gathering.”

Among those arrested was Pastor Shen Yiping, the founder of the internationally known house church group called China Gospel Fellowship, and Mr. Yang Huamin, who hosted the meeting.

Attorney Mr. Zhang Xingshui, director of Beijing Jingding Law Firm, has agreed to represent the house church leaders in court.