China Detains House Church Alliance Official

BEIJING, CHINA (Worthy News)– Chinese authorities have detained a key official of an influential umbrella group of house churches in China as part of a wider crackdown on unauthorized worship in the country, rights activists and Chinese Christians said Thursday, June 2.

Pastor Shi Enhao, the deputy chairman of the Chinese House Church Alliance (CHCA), has been “administratively detained” for 12-days at the Suqian city detention center in coastal Jiangsu province, said advocacy group China Aid Association (CAA).

Another CHCA Christian, identified as Chinese woman Chang Meiling, also received the 12-daysentence at the same facility, CAA added. “Administrative detention” is the arrest and detention of individuals by the state without trial, usually for what officials call “security reasons”.

The practice has been criticized by human rights groups.

Others lay leaders who were also detained with Pastor Shi and Chang on May 31, were released after twenty-four hours, CAA said.