China closes another underground church

Authorities raided an underground church in southern China over the weekend in an ongoing crackdown on unregistered churches. More than 60 police and Religous Affairs officials stormed the Rongguili Church in Guangzhou during a children’s Bible class Saturday morning, the South China Morning Post reported. Authorities from the Education and Religious Affairs departments seized more than 4,000 books and other items. The district’s Ethnic and Religious Affairs bureau said the congregation violated Religious Affairs regulations and asked members to attend any of the 15 registered Protestant churches in the city.

Last week, police detained more than 100 members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu. Lead pastor Wang Yi and his wife are still imprisoned, and Wang was charged with subverting state power. Authorities on Sunday arrested about 60 members of the church who tried to gather for worship at a riverside park, in the field of a nearby university, and at the closed church building. Chinese authorities also closed down Zion Church in Beijing in September.