China tries to shut down large church

Authorities in China's southwestern province of Sichuan are pressuring a large Christian church to halt its activities, according to the pastor.

The move comes as Chinese authorities are cracking down on unofficial churches and intensifying their harassment of Christians. (See earlier Baptist Press story, www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=37779.)

"The authorities have asked us to end our family church congregations, calling our gatherings 'illegal,'" Pastor Li, leader of a 1,500-member house church in the city of Langzhong, told Radio Free Asia.

"They … still haven't taken direct action against us, but this has worried churchgoers," Li said. Read more