China Gives Secret Order to Attack Major House Churches

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20090826/china-gives-secret-order-to-attack-major-house-churches/index.html

[The Christian Post] 31 Aug 2009--The Chinese government has reportedly issued a secret directive to crack down on at least several major house churches in Beijing, a U.S.-based group reported Tuesday.

ChinaAid Association, a religious freedom group with a focus on house churches in China, was informed by sources inside the country that the public security bureau has ordered the Beijing Huajie Plaza to terminate its rental contract with the Beijing Shouwang house church.

The Shouwang house church is one of the largest house churches in the area with more than 1,000 members. For a few years now, it has rented two floors for worship service and Sunday school at the Huajie Plaza. Most of the members are intellects from nearby universities.

This is not the first time authorities have pressured the church. Last May authorities raided the church and most recently in April, government officials forcibly shut down Shouwang Church’s Web site.

Reports of similar pressure to prevent church gatherings at other Beijing house churches have also been reported this month, ChinaAid said.