Tag: Christianity

Chinese Pastor Formally Arrested Amid Ongoing Crackdown on Christianity

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William Desjardins

Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent Protestant leader from Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, has been formally arrested on charges of “illegal business operations,” according to his legal representatives and Chinese human rights groups. The arrest, formally communicated to Pastor Huang on July 30, stems from his alleged sale of sermon recordings. His supporters and legal team say the charge is politically motivated.

Pastor Huang, widely known for his vocal resistance against government interference in religious affairs, was detained on June 26 alongside four other church members from Ningbo, Quzhou, and Taizhou, all in Zhejiang Province. The group was administratively detained the following day. Two of the four were released on bail on July 25, while the remaining two, along with another church member detained on July 17, continue to be held under unclear charges.

Under Chinese law, police are required to seek formal arrest approval within 30 days of detention. Huang’s representative believes the request was submitted on July 25, the final day of that window. However, an online search revealed that Huang’s name was already listed as “arrest approved” on the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China’s portal the same day, before any formal notice was given. The case was reportedly reviewed on July 28, and arrest approval was officially granted on July 29.

The rapid progression of the case has sparked criticism. “The speed and lack of transparency in Pastor Huang’s arrest process raise serious concerns about due process and the impartiality of the review,” said his lawyer, Yuan Mao, who was initially blocked from visiting Huang at the Pingyang County Detention Centre. Authorities cited the “special nature” of the case, requiring higher-level approval to allow visitation. The act Yuan argued violated Article 39 of China’s Criminal Procedure Law. Following a formal complaint filed on July 10, Yuan was finally permitted to meet his client on July 11.

In that meeting, Pastor Huang reportedly reiterated his innocence, stating, “Everything I have done is for the gospel. I have committed no illegal business activity.”

This is not Pastor Huang’s first encounter with state repression. In 2014, he was sentenced to one year in prison for protesting the mass demolition of church crosses in Wenzhou, a campaign widely criticised as part of a broader effort to suppress Christianity. Less than a month after his release in 2015, he was detained again on charges of “endangering national security” and held in secret residential surveillance for nearly five months without contact with family or legal counsel.

His church, Fengwo Church in Pingyang County, once a government-registered Three-Self Patriotic Movement congregation, has faced escalating pressure in recent years. Pastor Huang has been under frequent surveillance, summoned for interrogation, and had his online sermons shut down.

The Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group condemned the use of “vague and arbitrary” charges like “illegal business operations” to target religious leaders. “Freedom of religion or belief includes the right to share one’s faith, including through recorded sermons,” the group said in a statement. “This right is enshrined in China’s constitution and international human rights law.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) Founder President Mervyn Thomas echoed the condemnation, calling for Huang’s “immediate and unconditional release” and urging the Chinese authorities to respect legal procedures and religious freedom.

The arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on Christian communities in China. In April, nine Christians in Inner Mongolia were sentenced to prison terms and heavy fines for reselling legally published Bibles through an unregistered house church. In May, new government regulations took effect prohibiting foreign missionaries from preaching, founding schools, or distributing religious materials without state authorisation.

Organisations such as CSW, ChinaAid, and Voice of the Martyrs Canada continue to monitor and denounce the increasing pressure on China’s Christian population, particularly in regions like Zhejiang, where aggressive campaigns against churches, including cross removals and demolitions, have intensified since 2014.

As Pastor Huang remains behind bars, his case has become a focal point in the struggle for religious freedom in China.

Church Members in India Fear Attending Worship after Assault

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Morning Star News

NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – Hindu extremists in central India on June 8 ransacked a church’s worship building, burned Bibles and assaulted every member, causing one to lose consciousness, sources said.

In Chhattisgarh state’s Dhamtari District, the Hindu nationalists attacked during the independent Penial Prayer Fellowship’s worship service in Borsi village, said Pastor Wakish Sahu, who leads the church along with his 57-year-old father, Mannohan Sahu.

“They forcibly entered the church, disrupted the worship service and were carrying wooden rods and shouting slogans like ‘Jai Shri Ram’ [Hail lord Rama],” Pastor Wakish Sahu told Morning Star News.

Threatening the Christians, the attackers told them to stop gathering for worship, he said. They broke all chairs, fans and musical instruments, then collected all Christian literature along with the Bibles and burned them.

Taking hold of Pastor Mannohan Sahu, they beat him with wooden rods, slapped his face repeatedly, struck his head with wooden sticks and kicked him, Pastor Wakish Sahu said.

“My father was being beaten up, and during this time blows landed near his ear, and he lost his consciousness,” he said. “The assaulters, probably scared that he was dead or going to die from the beating, called for a glass of water and forced it in his mouth.”

Pastor Mannohan Sahu sustained injuries over all his body, especially on the head, ear, chest, hands and back.

The assailants beat all 15 members present that day, including Pastor Wakish Sahu’s mother when she tried to intervene and save her husband; her hands and head were injured in the process.

“Two women and five men sustained severe injuries and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment,” said Pastor Wakish Sahu.

Only five to seven of the assailants were from the village, the others being outsiders the pastor said he “had never seen before.”

Pastor Wakish Sahu registered a detailed complaint at the Maganlodh police station, but officers did not register a formal complaint as they indicated they would investigate first. At this writing, however, no formal complaint has been registered.

“Since the attack, the believers have stopped coming for worship as they are too scared, and understandably so; but our family members, around 10 of us, still worship at the same time,” Pastor Wakish Sahu said. “We have decided that we will not give in to fear.”

Under the Hindu Radar

This was not the first time the church has been attacked.

A mob of Hindu extremists in June 2024 attacked his church in a similar way, threatening all those present and telling them to stop attending worship services, the pastor said.

“Since then, our congregation of close to 50 people had reduced to 15, and since the latest attack, nobody [outside his family] is coming to church for fear of being assaulted,” Pastor Wakish Sahu said.

After the attack last year, Dhamtari Christian leaders had submitted a memorandum to authorities, including the District Collector of Dhamtari.

“Police have been patrolling every Sunday since last year,” the pastor said. “They usually come inside to check if any persons from nearby villages are in attendance, because they maintain that only people from our village should be present in our services. They have warned time and again that no one from other villages should be found in our midst.”

During police visits, after confirming attendance they usually take photos before leaving, he added.

Congregation members stopped coming also from fear of being targeted by anti-Christian groups.

“Many of them have told us that they will attend worship in other churches in nearby areas or in the city but are afraid of attending worship services at our church because of fear of violence and the police,” the pastor said. “However, they do not understand that even city churches have not been spared.”

On the morning of June 8, the patrolling police who visited the church again asked if anyone from outside the village was attending and left. When the ensuing assault was underway, officers arrived and told the assailants to leave.

“It was very surprising that the police just told them, ‘It is enough,’ and they all just walked away,” Pastor Wakish Sahu said. “It appears that it was all in the knowledge of the police even before they attacked us.”

When he and other Christian leaders went to submit a formal complaint at the police station, the Hindu extremists were waiting outside to attack them again. The pastor requested police protection, and officers agreed to drop them halfway to their home.

“When the police were driving us back, the Hindu mob was following the police vehicle,” he said. “They came after us for a mile and then took a detour.”

He later learned the Hindu mob following them had gone to another Christian house in the area and vandalized and burned it, he said.

Another congregation in Dhamtari, Elohim Church, endured an intrusion by members of the Hindu nationalist Bajrang Dal on Sunday (June 29), said Pastor Alok Majumdar.

“The Hindu extremists entered the church while the service was going on and disrupted it by loudly singing Hindu religious hymns,” Pastor Majumdar told Morning Star News. “Subsequently, the police arrived and dispersed the Bajrang Dal members.”

Officers took an informal complaint, but it has not yet been formalized. No physical violence or vandalism was reported.

The same day, Hindu extremists disrupted the worship service of another church in the district, located in Gopal Puri about 10 miles from Pastor Majumdar’s church. Its pastor, Thanu Ram, was unavailable to confirm the incident but it was cited by both Pastor Majumdar and Pastor Wakish Sahu.

Before attacking Pastor Majumdar’s church, the same day Hindu extremists went to Pastor Rekha Mahilanh’s church on the way to Majumdar’s church. Extremists found a 21-year-old man outside the building who was attending church for the first time and assaulted him. They then searched for the church pastor. Pastor Mahilanh stepped forward and revealed that she was the pastor, and she and all other women of the church confronted the extremists.

“The Hindu extremists discreetly used some kind of a spray on some of the women,” Pastor Mahilanh told Morning Star News.

In the end, due to the women’s determination, the extremists left and proceeded to Pastor Alok Majumdar’s church.

Pastor Mahilanh did not report the matter to the police.

Pastor Raju Verghese, also in Dhamtari District, Pastor Majumdar and the Rev. Diamond Phillius, president of the Dhamtari Christian Forum, submitted a memorandum to the collector’s office on Tuesday (July 1) highlighting the rise in attacks against area churches and appealing for action.

Pastor Verghese told Morning Star News that the district collector, Avinash Mishra, was busy in a meeting, so he received the memorandum from them and said that he would take it up with them later.

Christian support organization Open Doors ranks India 11th on its 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. India stood at 31st place in 2013 but has steadily fallen in the rankings since Narendra Modi came to power as prime minister.

Religious rights advocates point to the hostile tone of the National Democratic Alliance government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which they say has emboldened Hindu extremists in India since Modi took power in May 2014.

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Southern Baptist Convention Calls for Overturn of Same-Sex Marriage Ruling, Reinforces Traditional Christian Teachings

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STAFF/VOLUNTEER

At its recent annual meeting in Dallas, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) approved a resolution asking for the repeal of the 2015 United States Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage. The resolution was one of several passed by delegates, each designed to reaffirm conservative Christian beliefs about family, gender, and marriage.

The resolution is titled “On restoring moral clarity through God’s design for gender, marriage, and the family.” It is presented as a theological statement, expressing specific views about the created order, marriage, abortion, fertility, family structure, gender identity, sexual orientation, free speech, and miscarriage. A key part of the resolution urges the rejection of court rulings that deny the biological categories of male and female.

Baptist News Global, a U.S.-based religious news outlet, reported that resolutions passed by the Convention are nonbinding. This means they are statements reflecting the beliefs of those in attendance at a particular meeting, rather than enforceable policies. However, the same report noted that there have been growing calls to treat these resolutions as tools for shaping doctrinal positions and influencing political discussions within the denomination and beyond.

Along with the resolution on same-sex marriage, the Convention also adopted statements addressing other social concerns. These included resolutions on the dangers associated with sports betting, a call to ban pornography, and a declaration against the use of abortion pills.

For Christians, especially within Southern Baptist communities, these resolutions reflect ongoing efforts to maintain traditional teachings about family and moral life. The Convention’s position on these issues continues to influence how churches under its banner address topics related to marriage, sexuality, and personal conduct.

While these resolutions do not hold legal authority, they signal the Convention’s continued commitment to specific interpretations of Christian doctrine. These positions may shape conversations in churches, schools, and other religious settings in Canada, particularly among Christians who share similar theological beliefs.

The SBC has seen a larger movement among conservative Christian groups to respond to changes in legal and cultural attitudes toward gender, marriage, and family.

Exploring the Message of “The God You Are”: A Reflection on Surrender, Faith, and Identity in God

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STEVE MORGAN

When Sound Street was searching for music for their project Good Seed in 2023, lead vocalist Jaylie Vanderslice recalls that the group was looking for songs with a personal connection—songs that moved listeners on a deeper level. That search led them to “The God You Are,” written by Adina Bowman, Wendy Ferguson, and Rhonda Fry.

“In 2023, when we were searching for new songs to put on our new project at the time, Good Seed, we were searching for songs that I could relate to and I could really connect with,” Vanderslice shared. “And we weren’t having much luck until Adina Bowman sent us a song… from the moment that I heard the intro I fell in love with it and it was ‘The God You Are.’”

Now performed by Southbound, “The God You Are” continues to carry the emotional weight that Vanderslice described. The lyrics are centered on surrendering personal control, affirming God’s attributes, and aligning one’s will with divine purpose. The bridge—highlighted by Vanderslice as her favorite section—reads:

“The God of salvation, of mercy and grace,
The God of all power, you’re still God today.”

These lines enforce the song’s central message: the enduring and unchanging nature of God’s power, mercy, and authority. In the broader context of the song, this declaration follows a personal plea for help, beginning with uncertainty and vulnerability:

“I know you can do what no one else can do.
And I know that you can see just what I’m going through.
So why do I still fight this fight alone
When I should know by now that I can’t make it on my own?”

There is a struggle between human instinct for self-reliance and the spiritual call to trust. The words acknowledges God’s omnipotence and insight, but still confesses to wrestling with the need for control. The chorus follows with a deliberate act of surrender:

“So give me faith to step out of the way.
Surrender my whole life enough to say
I lay it all here at your feet.
I trust with all my heart,
Believing you to be the God you are.”

This is both a prayer and a declaration, shifting from uncertainty to resolve. It marks a turning point in the song—an active decision to yield to divine authority. It underscores a recurring theme in Southern Gospel music: that of personal transformation through trust in a higher power.

The song closes by repeating its key affirmation: “Believing you to be the God you are.”

Vanderslice’s reflection on singing the bridge—particularly her emotional response. “The God of salvation, like he saved me and he’s saved people who thought that they’re too far gone,” she said. “But you’re never too far gone for God.”

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Mark 9-11

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The audio on this video is the property of Thru the Bible. It is offered free of charge. If you wish to make a donation, do not send it to us. Visit http://www.ttb.org for information. The audio is attributed to Dr. J. Vernon McGee and Thru the Bible. Intellectual property rights are those of Thru the Bible. Please contact us if you feel our understanding of the terms of use are in error. Copyright information obtained from https://ttb.org/about/copyright-policy

In his sermon on Mark chapters 9 through 11, Dr. McGee begins by examining the Transfiguration in Mark 9, highlighting Mark’s detailed account and suggesting it reveals Christ’s perfect humanity rather than primarily his deity, which is John’s focus. He connects this event to Peter’s later testimony as an eyewitness of Christ’s power and coming. Dr. McGee explains Jesus taking Peter, James, and John to the mountain, not as favoritism, but perhaps due to their spiritual immaturity. The appearance of Moses and Elijah signifies the law and the prophets testifying to Jesus. Despite this glory, the disciples fail to cast out a demon at the foot of the mountain, illustrating the contrast between heavenly glory and earthly struggles. Dr. McGee emphasizes that the Transfiguration itself doesn’t save; it points towards the necessity of Christ’s death and resurrection.

Continuing in Mark 9, Dr. McGee interprets the disciples’ failure as a reflection of the church’s present-day ineffectiveness in a world he describes as troubled and even “demon possessed”. He criticizes the church for engaging in various activities while neglecting the primary task of bringing people to Jesus. Jesus’ rebuke of a “faithless generation” and his statement “bring him unto me” are central to this point. The disciples’ subsequent inability to cast out the demon is attributed to a lack of prayer. Dr. McGee also touches upon Jesus’ second announcement of his death and resurrection, the disciples’ misunderstanding and argument about greatness, and Jesus’ teaching against a sectarian spirit after John forbids an outsider from casting out demons in Jesus’ name. He notes Jesus’ stern warning against offending little ones and his direct teaching about hell.

Moving into Mark 10, Dr. McGee discusses marriage and divorce, noting the Pharisees’ attempt to entrap Jesus. Jesus shifts the focus from divorce back to God’s original design for marriage as a union of one flesh created at the beginning. He explains that divorce was permitted due to the “hardness of your heart” but was not God’s ideal. Dr. McGee addresses adultery in the context of remarriage and clarifies why Mark’s account of divorce differs slightly from Matthew’s, considering Mark’s Roman audience. He then examines the blessing of the little children, highlighting their importance and suggesting adults should embrace a childlike faith. The encounter with the Rich Young Ruler is analyzed as an example of someone relying on outward obedience to the law while lacking a true relationship with God, hindered by his wealth. Jesus’ teaching on the difficulty for the rich to enter the kingdom is explained, emphasizing that salvation comes through God, not human effort or riches.

Finally, in Mark 10 and 11, Dr. McGee addresses Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, including his repeated predictions of his death and resurrection. He interprets James and John’s request for positions of power and Jesus’ response about those places being prepared by God. The core of Jesus’ mission is emphasized: to minister and give his life as a ransom for many. Dr. McGee briefly mentions the healing of blind Bartimaeus. Transitioning to Mark 11, he describes Jesus’ public entry into Jerusalem as a presentation of himself as the Messiah, which ultimately led to rejection. He suggests this entry occurred over three days and was not a triumphal procession in the worldly sense. The cursing of the fig tree is interpreted as a symbol of Israel’s fruitless religious outward appearance. The cleansing of the temple is depicted as Jesus purging a corrupt religious system. This event leads to a discourse on the power of prayer through faith in God, clarifying that this power is for spiritual strength rather than literal miracles, and emphasizing the importance of forgiveness. The sermon concludes with Jesus’ skillful handling of the chief priests and elders who question his authority, using a counter-question about John the Baptist to silence them.