Stop the Demolition of a Chinese Church

Dear Friend,

I am writing this e-mail as an urgent call for you to speak up for our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ who have been silenced by the Chinese government.

More than 50,000 members of the Linfen Church network in China are suffering today after an unprecedented attack on one of their many branch churches. In September 2009, Chinese authorities raided a branch of the Linfen Church in Fushan, demolishing buildings and injuring more than 100 church members. Weeks later, church leaders were arrested and sentenced to prison.

Now the Chinese government plans to demolish the network’s flagship church, the Jindengtang (Golden Lamp) Church building in Shanxi province. The church, which was recently constructed to house the Linfen network’s growing congregation, can seat as many as 5,000 people.

Help prevent the Chinese government from destroying the Golden Lamp Church building!

Join with VOM and ChinaAid Association in a campaign to prevent the demolition of this church building. Perhaps together, our voices can help save a church building that has meant so much to our persecuted brothers and sisters in this part of China.

How you can help:

1. PRAY. The Linfen Christians are asking their brothers and sisters around the world to join their fervent prayer that God will soften the hearts of government officials and save their church building from demolition.
2. CALL OR WRITE to Chinese government officials. Remind them that Christians are NOT a threat to their country, but are in fact loyal citizens who love their country and pray for their leaders. Call or write to:

   Land Resources Bureau of Yaodu District, Linfen City
   Tel:  +86-357-201-3263  +86-357-201-3263

   Yaodu District People’s Government contact:
   Tel:  86-357-222-8559  86-357-222-8559
   Email: info@yaodu.gov.cn

   The Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C.
   Tel:  (202) 328-2500  (202) 328-2500
   Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cn

3. CALL OR WRITE to your congressman, U.S. senators, and the White House. Ask our government officials to contact Chinese officials and speak out on behalf of the Linfen Christians. (You can find information on how to contact your elected officials here.)

History of the Linfen Church

The Linfen Church network is an unregistered church in China that includes 50,000 members who meet in 30 different locations. The church traces its history back to the mission work of Hudson Taylor’s China Inland Mission. One branch of the church, in Fushan, was demolished by government officials last September. Ten of the church’s top leaders are currently in prison or labor camps, some sentenced to as much as seven years on the dubious charge of “disrupting local traffic order.”

Now government officials have threatened to tear down the Linfen network’s flagship church, the Golden Lamp Church. This large church, with its towering steeple and cross that stand out over the city of Linfen, was built with verbal approval from local officials but without official permission from China’s Communist religious authorities. An official from the Land Resources Bureau has told a China Aid contact that the church will be destroyed.

Following the attack in Fushan, the Golden Lamp Church was surrounded by military police, and church members have been barred from using the 5,000-seat church.

NOW IS THE TIME to pray for and speak out on behalf of our brothers and sisters in China. Please add your voice to this rising chorus for justice.

Thank you for standing with us, and with them.

For those in bonds,

Tom White
Executive Director