5/15/2024 China (International Christian Concern) – Since
two leaders of Ganquan Church in Hefei, Anhui, were arrested last fall,
their wives and members of their church family have pleaded for their
release. Those pleas have grown more urgent after the two leaders
developed serious health problems while in prison.
In
November 2023, Communist authorities detained Pastor Zhou Songlin,
Elder Ding Zhongfu, and 14 other members of the house church. Pastor
Zhou and Elder Ding, both charged with fraud, are the only church
members who remain in prison.
“We
have heard several similar frontline reports from around China of
underground church pastors being charged with fraud-related crimes to
destabilize their churches and attack their reputations,” International
Christian Concern’s (ICC) regional director for Southeast Asia said. “In
this extremely difficult context with increased surveillance and a
growing crackdown on unregistered churches in China, ministries like ICC
must continue to find creative ways to support our suffering brethren
in prison and in unregistered, underground fellowships.”
Pastor
Zhou is suffering from an unspecified “serious illness” that his
doctors say cannot be properly treated while he is incarcerated. The
pastor has stated that he is afraid he will die in prison. Elder Ding is
experiencing high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness, and insomnia.
“ICC
strongly urges Chinese officials to immediately release these
prisoners, given their serious health challenges, and to drop the
charges against all of these church members,” ICC’s regional director
added.
Ganquan
Church is an underground church that refuses to come under the
state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), China’s only
legal church. As a result, Ganquan is considered illegal and cannot
purchase property. To secure property for worship and other church
activities, Pastor Zhou and Elder Ding used church funds to purchase two
properties in their own names. Their wives and other
church members have argued that strict financial controls were in place
and the purchases were not fraudulent.
In
a desperate plea to officials to release their husbands, Zhou and
Ding’s wives released the following statement, published by Bitter Winter on May 1:
“For more than twenty years, Ganquan Church has been based on the Christian faith, strictly following the teachings of the Bible, honoring God and benefiting people, and self-regulating its congregation, in accordance with the Christian Church’s thousands (of) years of tradition, drawing on its own resources, and maintaining the normal operation of the church. The church has a strict financial management
system, and the management and use of all funds are supervised by many
people with Elder Ding reporting to the congregation as treasurer. The
purchase of the real estate was decided at a meeting of all co-workers,
and several trustees were elected to manage
them. It also went through the legal process to create notarized and
archived documents proving that the properties, in fact, belong to the
church.”
Since
1995, ICC has served the global persecuted church through a
three-pronged approach of assistance, advocacy, and awareness. ICC
exists to bandage the wounds of persecuted Christians and to build the
church in the toughest parts of the world.
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