by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Authorities in China once again raided the Zion Church in Beijing last month, arresting 12 people and taking down the details of everyone in attendance as part of a crackdown on Christianity in the country, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
China is ruled by the paranoid, authoritarian Chinese Communist Party which has banned Zion Church and other evangelical churches that refuse to register with the government and promote an anti-Christian ideology that glorifies the CCP and its leader. China currently ranks 19 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
The Beijing Zion Church was raided during services held at four separate locations on October 20, ICC reports. The church was banned in 2018 after it refused to install government-monitored CCTV cameras but continued to meet as a church in different places. Among those arrested on October 20 was Elder Qin Guoliang, who was given a 14-day detention sentence.
In a 2024 website report about the situation facing evangelical churches in China, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization states: “The Chinese Communist Party’s goal is to make sure churches don’t fall out of line with official viewpoints. In the case of official churches, this means they are encouraged to praise and pledge allegiance to the Communist Party and its ideology.”
Noting that persecution and discrimination against Christians is spreading across China, Open Doors adds: “Churches that claim Christ as King are viewed with suspicion, especially since Christianity is seen as a primarily Western influence. Most churches are monitored and can be shut down without warning.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Iran fired a volley of missiles toward northern Israel on Sunday night, pushing the region back toward the brink of open war after Tehran made good on its warning that an Israeli strike in Beirut would bring Iranian retaliation.
The Israel Defense Forces struck Hezbollah command centers in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district on Sunday, escalating Israel’s campaign against the Iran-backed terrorist group after renewed fire from Lebanon toward Israeli territory.
Armenians voted Sunday in a closely watched parliamentary election that could determine whether the South Caucasus nation continues its gradual shift toward the European Union or restores closer ties with traditional ally Russia, which has warned of serious consequences should Armenia continue its westward course.
Slovenia entered a new political era this weekend after parliament approved a center-right government led by pro-Israel Prime Minister Janez Jansa, a move expected to reverse several Middle East policies adopted by the previous administration.
A community police officer in northern England has won a settlement after his suspension for questioning Islam in a case that underscored broader concerns about workplace pressure on devout Christians, his defense team told Worthy News.
Students held protests across about 20 provinces in Iran on Saturday against educational policies imposed by the country’s Islamic rulers despite the risk of a potentially deadly crackdown, witnesses said.
Montenegro moved closer to becoming the European Union’s next member Friday as EU leaders signaled the Balkan nation could join the bloc by 2028, while officials also reflected on lessons learned from Hungary’s years of democratic backsliding under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.