Despite repeated crackdowns on their places of worship, members of Xiamen Xunsiding Church are relentless in continuing to practice their faith.
On Saturday, ChinaAid reported that the police again raided the church's newly rented venue of worship at the Pacific Rim Hotel. Dozens of policemen flocked to the conference hall and blocked the entrance. They checked each participant's temperature, wrote down their ID numbers, and took their pictures without face mask.
According to one church attendee, the police officers were rude as they demand each one to tell his or her name.
"Police were shouting at us as if we were criminals," she said.
After the process of photographing and name listing, the police detained the more than 100 Christians in a room that has no restroom. Using his phone, Minister Yang Xibo filmed what transpired that day.
Back in the mid-1950s, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials shut down then Xiagang Chapel (now Xiamen Xunsiding Church). Yang Huaide and other members of the church decided to have house church gatherings.
The CCP authorities then nabbed Mr. Yang's grandchildren, Yang Xinfei and Yang Yuanzhang and locked them in jail for 15 years and five years because they preached the Gospel of Christianity. When the Yangs were finally released from prison, instead of balking, they continued leading house churches. In 1977, they resumed their Sunday service at No. 5 Xunsiding Lane.
Come May 19, 2019, the CCP again banned the Xiamen Xunsiding Church. Church members resorted to frequently changing their venues. But whether they meet in residential houses or business buildings, in any event, their secret religious services are soon discovered by the authorities. This is due to the notice by the city officials enlisting local residents to tip them whenever they find "illegal religious activities" in the area.
In February, the Siming District Religious Affairs Bureau issued a ban notice on Xunsiding church's campus. This time, staffs from religious affairs bureau specifically targeted Ms. Wang who is Pastor Yang Xibo's wife. The notice claim that she has violated several articles under the "Regulations on Religious Affairs" for opening a branch for Xiamen Xunsiding Church in the form of a campus.
"Thank the Lord-my wife and I are a good match," Pastor Yang posted on Facebook after the incident.
Further in the report, ChinaAid added that during the recent crackdowns on Christian churches, officials of the Xiamen municipal government have zeroed in targeting Xunsiding Church.
Oftentimes, the CCP will attempt to force Christians to either give up or compromise their faith. They will try to break their spirits by demolishing church buildings, raid churches during Sunday services, beat up and arrest both Christian members and leaders. They will also force Christians parents to send their children to public schools where children are taught to embrace the principles and philosophies of CCP. Foreign missionaries' tombstones were also torn down and discarded.
Notwithstanding, members of Xiamen Xunsiding Church remain standing tall and strong in their faith. The same goes for other Chinese Christians from different provinces who also refused to compromise with the CCPs Three-Self Patriotic churches.
