At Least 400 Churches Closed or Destroyed in China

Christians across China continue to be persecuted by Communist officials in the ongoing crackdown against houses of worship.

Bitter Winter reports that at least 400 Three-Self and house churches were either demolished, shut down or repurposed in Shangrao City of Jiangxi Province. Additionally, video footage shows a cross being removed from the rooftop of a Shangrao church.

 “The central and provincial governments planned to send a team to focus on rectifying Christianity in Yugan county,” a local preacher told Bitter Winter.

He was also told that his church’s cross had to be removed otherwise it would be destroyed.

“If we didn’t do it, the church could have been demolished when the team came,” the preacher added.

Bitter Winter also noted that many of Three-Self churches were transformed into activity centers or libraries.

One director of a Three-Self church reported that local authorities were ordered by the central government to rectify all state-run churches under no exceptions. He told Bitter Winter that churches built or approved after 2014 were told to shut down, despite some of the churches having necessary permits.

In May, a local church built off of the donations of its congregants was destroyed in the Guangxin District.

A Seventh-day Church venue was also forcibly demolished in Huanggu town in the Guangxin district.

One preacher of a Three-Self church who had its cross removed told Bitter…