Chinese Christians lose six churches as

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide,  six Protestant house churches in Guiyang city, Guizhou Province were shut down on Monday, October 8, 2018.

The authorities cited not having permission for conducting services in what was referred to as "illegal religious venues" as their reason for shutting down these churches. As a result of the closure, at least 300 people no longer have places of worship.

Sadly, churches in other provinces have also been closed since the revised Regulations on Religious Affairs initiative was put in place.

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Response to Chinese Christians losing their churches

Reacting to the crackdown on churches, CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas, said: "Every week brings news of yet more church closures in China. Churches old and new, large and small, Catholic and Protestant are all coming under pressure: state-sanctioned churches are being demolished, while unregistered churches are being forced to disband or meet in secret. We are also deeply alarmed by reports of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention on a massive scale in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

He continued: "We call on the Chinese government to abolish the re-education camps and release detainees immediately and without condition. We also call on the government to stop the forced closure of churches whose members are peacefully exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief, and to guarantee the right to religious freedom for people of all ethnicities and religions in China."

This is the latest act of religious persecution since school children were asked to deny their faith.