(Photo : Portrait of an LBX/Flickr/CC) Some 20 Chinese Christians who were members of a house church were beaten up by Public Security Bureau in Nanle county, Henan province.
About 20 Chinese Christians were beaten by Public Security Bureau in Nanle County on September 25, according to China Aid.
The group of Christians were members of a house church in Henan province of central China.
"A lot of problems have been caused because they [the public security bureau personnel] control, attack and persecute Christianity in Henan. I hope the international community will pray for them," said Zhang Mingxuan, a pastor and president of the Chinese House Church Alliance.
Another couple in Henan province was imprisoned for hanging a cross in their home, which also served as a house church. A woman who visited them was also arrested.
The police raided their house church and confiscated their Bibles and other religious items. China Aid reported that this is the second time the house church was raided this year.
The pastor has been released from prison, but his wife and the female guest are still being detained by the police.
Activists say that the Chinese government has stepped up persecution of Christians under President Xi Jinping.
Hundreds of Christian activists and lawyers have been detained during the last two years, and over 1,200 crosses were demolished and hundreds of churches razed to the ground in a 'beatification campaign' launched by the government.
A member of the Houshi Church told Radio Free Asia that church congregations are under government's radar and are being closely monitored.
"There have been people watching me in the past few days from my neighbourhood committee and the local police station," RFA quoted an anonymous member as saying.
About two months ago, Chinese authorities in Zhejiang imposed bans on prayers in hospitals. The rule states that hospitals will not allow visitors to pray for sick or preach in hospitals.
In the same province, local government in Pingyang County made it mandatory for churches to give all their tithes and income to the authorities.
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