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week, February 19-22, several high profile American ministries will be
hosting a Symposium on China Church Ministry in Pasadena, California. The
stated purpose of the symposium is to “explore opportunities for
East-West communications and partnerships.” Discussions will include
“understanding religious liberty issues.” Speakers will include
ZhangJiang, Department Chief of the Religious Affairs Bureau, as well as
eleven delegates from the Three-Self Church and leaders from the China
Christian Council. Each of these organizations is Communist; and all, to
one extent or another, are responsible for the persecution of Christians
in China (see below). The symposium is sponsored by Christian Leadership
Exchange. Well-known co-sponsors of the symposium include Crystal
Cathedral Ministries and Prison Fellowship International. Wisconsin
Christians United has alerted its e-mail network to contact the sponsoring
organizations just listed and ask them why they are lending a platform and
credibility to Communist organizations which are persecuting Christians
and seeking to crush the house church movement in China. Yesterday, on his
radio program “The Heart of the Matter,” Pastor Ralph Ovadal likewise
called for Christians to speak out on behalf of our brothers and sisters
in China. In both instances, Christians are being encouraged to also ask
the sponsors of the symposium to at least allow Bob Fu to have some time to
speak. Before escaping to America, Mr. Fu and his wife were jailed in
China for holding covert Bible studies. Mr. Fu has appeared on “The Heart
of the Matter” program a number of times and is the founder of the
Committee for the Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China.
“The sheep of our Lord’s China flock are being persecuted
and even killed. Meanwhile, their persecutors will be in Pasadena
masquerading as legitimate members of the Church of Jesus Christ. They
should instead be exposed as wolves in sheep’s clothing. I pray that
many Christians in this nation will raise their voices to reprove this
unfruitful work of darkness and stand in the gap for their suffering
Chinese brethren.”
—Ralph Ovadal, Director, Wisconsin Christians United; Pastor, Christ the King
Church
• Religious Affairs Bureau: The RAB oversees the administration of state
religious policy and often calls upon the Public Security Bureau (the
Chinese intelligence and police service) for arrests, surveillance, and
implementation of its policy. RAB personnel are appointed by the Communist
Party, and most are Party members.
• Three-Self Patriotic Movement: The TSPM, the state church, is very
political in nature, touting Communist Party policies within the church.
The Party or TSPM leadership, often Party members, select TSPM pastors who
must remain politically loyal. Many TSPM personnel are Communist agents.
• China Church Council: The CCC, TSPM’s sister organization,
constitutes the leadership structure of the state church, promoting Party
policies and presenting a propagandized image of the church in China to
foreigners. The CCC implemented the “Ten Don’ts for Churches,” which
includes prohibitions of young people in churches, the preaching on
Revelation, and unregistered churches.
The following two programs of "The Heart of the Matter" are
available for listening at http://www.theheartofthematteronline.com.
* Bob Fu: Report on Persecution of Christians in China from Former House
Church Leader
* Chinese State Church Leaders Coming to the United States
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