On the morning of July 17, 2024, several Christians from Xuan’en Church, a house church in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, were forcibly interrupted during their Bible study by a joint law enforcement operation. The operation involved the United Front Work Department, National Security Brigade, Religious Affairs Bureau, local police station, and community office. Multiple personnel entered the gathering venue, recorded the names and phone numbers of those present, and ordered them to stop the gathering. The police and officials accused them of illegal assembly and demanded they attend only government-sanctioned Three-Self churches. They stated that since this was a first offense, they would only issue a warning but emphasized it should not happen again.
In recent years, persecuted house churches have spread throughout various provinces in China, with minority regions like Hohhot being no exception. Another case in Hohhot targeted nine Christians recently. These individuals, including Wang Honglan who is nearly 70 years old, were charged with “illegal business operations” for helping others buy Bibles at a discounted price despite it being a non-profit endeavor. They purchased state-approved Bibles from the Three-Self Church in Nanjing at a 5% discount and sold them at a 25% discount, losing money in the process. Nevertheless, they were arrested in 2021 on charges of “illegal business operations.”
The nine Christians involved experienced varying degrees of coerced confessions while in detention. The case began on November 20, 2023 and lasted nearly 50 days with the trial concluding in early January this year. Four of the Christians involved—Ji Heying, Ji Guolong, Liu Wei, and Zhang Wang—were released on bail on April 14, 2024. The other four—Wang Honglan, Wang Jiale, Liu Minna, and Yang Zhijun—remain in custody with no verdict announced yet. One Christian pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison by the court.
Xuan’en Church has issued a prayer request letter asking for strength to hold fast to their faith and face persecution with grace.
