China Arrests Christians Over Sunday School Classes

BEIJING — Chinese authorities have arrested six Christians in the southwestern province of Guizhou in what rights groups describe as an escalating campaign against underground religious activity, including the teaching of Christianity to children.

The arrests, carried out in Kaili, a city in Guizhou Province, targeted members of a house church accused of “fraud” and “organizing minors to engage in activities that undermine public order,” according to advocacy groups monitoring religious freedom in China.

Human rights organizations and Christian advocacy networks say the accusations stem from the group’s involvement in Sunday school and informal Bible education programs for children.

The case has intensified international scrutiny of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping efforts to tighten state control over religion, particularly independent Christian congregations operating outside government-approved institutions.

The detainees were identified as Wei Yongqiang, He Jinbao, Quan Xiaolong, Long Jian, Cheng Yongbing, and Zhou Guixia.

ChinaAid, a U.S.-based Christian rights organization, condemned the arrests, describing them as part of a broader pattern of criminalizing peaceful religious practice.

“The prosecution of Sunday school activities reveals an alarming expansion of state repression into the religious upbringing of children,” Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, said in a statement.

Growing Pressure on House Churches

China officially permits worship only through state-sanctioned religious organizations. But millions of Christians are believed to attend independent “house churches,” many of which reject government oversight.

Under Xi Jinping, authorities have intensified a policy known as the “Sinicization of religion,” aimed at aligning religious practice with Communist Party ideology and Chinese nationalist values.

In recent years, pastors have been imprisoned, churches demolished, and congregations pressured to install surveillance systems or display Communist Party propaganda inside places of worship.

Rights advocates say the Guizhou case reflects an increasingly aggressive legal strategy in which authorities use broad criminal charges — including fraud and disturbing public order — to suppress unauthorized religious gatherings.

The involvement of children appears to have become a particular focus for regulators. Chinese law restricts religious instruction for minors in many settings, and local governments have repeatedly moved to shut down church-run educational programs.

International Concern Mounts

The arrests have prompted renewed criticism from religious freedom organizations and international observers, who argue that Beijing’s interpretation of public order laws is being used to silence peaceful expressions of faith.

Legal representatives connected to the case reportedly faced obstacles in accessing the detainees, according to advocacy groups familiar with the matter.

Chinese authorities have not publicly issued a detailed explanation regarding the arrests.

The detentions add to a growing list of cases fueling concerns over the shrinking space for civil liberties and religious expression in China.

(Sources: Bitter Winter, ChinaAid, Religion Unplugged, UCA News, Christian Post)