Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church Raided a second time in one month

Police broke in and raided Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church for a second time this month. Pastor Huang Xiaoning and co-workers of the church negotiated with the police at the door of the conference room. In the end, congregants were removed from the premises.

On Sunday, June 4th, multiple police officers barged into service without their uniforms. They claimed that there were reports of a crime, so they came to investigate. After asking some questions, they told the congregants to leave. “Religious events shouldn’t be held here per the national regulations,” one officer said. Pastor Huang Xiaoning questioned him about which laws support his statement. The officer responded that the Religious Affairs Regulations. However, Pastor Huang Xiaoning argued that the more recent regulations do not supersede China’s Constitution.

Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church argued with the police for some time, especially with concerns about jurisdiction. Pastor Huang asked why the police were handling an “illegal religious matter” instead of the religious affairs bureau. They responded that they received a report from a concerned citizen. Their job was to handle safety and security issues. After finding illegal religious activity, police acted “accordingly.”

In reality, the police were sent to harass Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church. Last month, police raided five church locations simultaneously. After a coordinated effort, they followed the church to their temporary venue.  Pastor Huang Xiaoning warned the officers to enforce laws accordingly. Then, the police called the religious affairs bureau and notified them to handle the issue.