An increasing number of Christian pastors and community leaders have signed a joint declaration condemning an ongoing, violent persecution of Christians in China by the State authorities.  The initial statement, released at the end of August, was signed by 19 people, but many more have risked further persecution by adding their name to the list which stands at 279 now.

In September, 2017, the State Council issued a decree on the administration of religious affairs, and began implementing them in February, 2018.  Since then, Christian churches have suffered varying degrees of persecution, contempt, and hostility from government departments during public worship and religious practices, including measures that “attempt to alter and distort the Christian faith,” the statement says.

“Some of these violent actions are unprecedented since the end of the Cultural Revolution. These include demolishing crosses on church buildings, violently removing expressions of faith like crosses and couplets hanging on Christians’ homes, forcing and threatening churches to join religious organisations controlled by the government, forcing churches to hang the national flag or to sing secular songs praising the State and political parties, banning the children of Christians from entering churches and receiving religious education, and depriving churches and believers of the right to gather freely.”