China: Officials Raid Beijing Church, Arrest Congregants

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

U.S. Completes Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement Under Trump Order
U.S. Completes Withdrawal From Paris Climate Agreement Under Trump Order

The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, the State Department confirmed Tuesday, marking President Donald Trump’s second exit from the global climate pact and fulfilling a key pledge of his administration’s “America First” agenda.

Trump Says ‘America Is Back’ After S&P Hits 7,000 Points For First Time In History
Trump Says ‘America Is Back’ After S&P Hits 7,000 Points For First Time In History

U.S. President Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that “America is back” after the S&P 500 Index, which tracks the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States, surpassed the 7,000-point mark for the first time in its history.

Rubio Explains Reasoning Behind Trump’s Venezuela Strikes In Senate Hearing
Rubio Explains Reasoning Behind Trump’s Venezuela Strikes In Senate Hearing

Amid congressional outcry over the Trump administration’s military actions in Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the moves Wednesday and outlined future plans to U.S. lawmakers.

Census Projections Show Red States To See Gains In U.S. House Seats, Electoral College
Census Projections Show Red States To See Gains In U.S. House Seats, Electoral College

Several blue states appear set to lose electoral college votes while red states will make sweeping gains, new data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests.

Putin Hosts Syria’s al-Sharaa as Russia Seeks to Secure Military Footprint
Putin Hosts Syria’s al-Sharaa as Russia Seeks to Secure Military Footprint

Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Kremlin on Wednesday, as Russia moves to safeguard its remaining military bases in Syria following a dramatic shift in power in the war-torn nation.

U.S. Finds Palestinian Authority Paid Over $200 Million to Terrorists Despite Ending ‘Pay-to-Slay’ Claim
U.S. Finds Palestinian Authority Paid Over $200 Million to Terrorists Despite Ending ‘Pay-to-Slay’ Claim

The U.S. State Department has determined that the Palestinian Authority paid more than $200 million to terrorists and their families in 2025, despite claims by PA President Mahmoud Abbas that the controversial “pay-to-slay” program had been ended.

Doomsday Clock Moves to 85 Seconds to Midnight, Closest Ever to Global Catastrophe
Doomsday Clock Moves to 85 Seconds to Midnight, Closest Ever to Global Catastrophe

Atomic scientists on Tuesday moved the symbolic “Doomsday Clock” to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest humanity has ever come to theoretical self-annihilation—yet the warning is not meant to declare destiny. For people of faith, the tightening of the hour carries prophetic weight, echoing past moments when global shaking preceded awakening, repentance, and renewal, serving as a call to restrain destructive paths and realign human choices toward life, wisdom, and peace.