Members of the Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC), a house church in China, have recently been subjected to severe persecution by the Chinese government. Many Christians who are members of ERCC received eviction notices on Friday, September 30. Their landlord told them they had to leave as soon as possible without giving any reason.
Shu Qiong and her husband called their landlord and asked if he was being threatened by the authorities to evict them as soon as they got the call. He offered to reimburse their rent arrears and breach penalty while denying it. Shu remarked, “You are also under pressure in this case, for which I am extremely sorry, thinking that the landlord was lying to her. I just pray that God keep your complaints in mind. I am aware of the pressure you are experiencing. It would be quite alluring if I could take advantage of your breach of contract, find another home, and sign a high-priced contract, as though I could easily turn a profit in addition to sustaining no loss. But even if I am extremely poor—so poor that I need to rent a house and a car—I am a Christian, and I still believe that it is wrong to crave unfair wealth in this manner”
Shu and her husband finally resisted leaving, saying they would do so once their lease expired because they had not broken any laws. She declared that if necessary, she and her husband would take the decision’s legal repercussions into their own hands. According to Gina Goh, Regional Manager for Southeast Asia for International Christian Concern (ICC), “China’s continued campaign against ERCC is the prime example of how Beijing continues to neglect religious freedom for its people even though the Constitution provides this right.” “The government has continued to harass and persecute the house church since the imprisonment of ERCC Pastor Wang Yi and elder Qing Derfu in 2018. To totally control Christianity in China, the government wants to see all house churches exterminated.
Let’s keep upholding Christians around the world in our prayers.