Government officials in one of China’s most populous provinces are offering monetary rewards to citizens who report on “illegal religious activity venues,” including underground churches, according to a new report.
In August, the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau of Gushi county in Henan province began offering citizens 500 RMB (about $70 USD) for collecting photos, videos, audio recordings and other materials of any illegal religious activities, according to the report by Bitter Winter, which monitors religious liberty violations in China. Henan is the third-most populous province in China.
Christians in China are only allowed to worship in a church that’s part of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (for Protestants) or the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. But because both bodies face severe restrictions – including a limit on what is preached – millions of Christians worship at illegal underground churches.
Underground churches often meet in homes or rented buildings. The county’s stance on illegal churches caused one landlord to stop renting to an underground church, Bitter Winter reported.
“Encouraged by the government propaganda, the landlord drove us away, refusing to rent us her property,” a church member of the underground church said. “She explained that she didn’t want to suffer consequences if our venue was discovered. The CCP will…
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