China Arrests 100 House Church Members, Offers Cash Rewards for Their Capture

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A new wave of crackdowns on house churches in China has led to the arrests of dozens of Christians, with authorities even offering cash rewards for information leading to their capture.

The report from International Christian Concern (ICC) says an “ongoing, massive campaign by Chinese police” in and around Wenzhou City in Zhejiang Province resulted in the detainment and arrest of more than 100 local house church members between Dec. 13-18.

The crackdown included checkpoints, police patrols, and “cash rewards being posted for the capture of house church leaders,” ICC said.

Christianity in China generally takes shape in two different settings: government-approved churches and unregistered house churches. Legal churches are allowed to operate openly but must register with state-run religious bodies and accept ongoing oversight, including limits on preaching, leadership appointments, and children’s participation. For example, individuals under 18 were prohibited from attending Christmas services.

Sermons and lessons in government-approved churches must align teaching and church life with CCP rules. Because of this, millions of Christians in China worship in house churches, which meet without official approval – often in homes or secret gathering places – and are therefore vulnerable to raids, fines, and arrests – particularly when authorities view them as growing too large or influential.

“The Chinese government, led and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, considers Christianity a threat to the state’s authority,” ICC said in an analysis. “Consequently, it wages an intense campaign of persecution against house churches that aren’t part of the state-led ‘religious’ bodies.”

The recent arrests follow months of mounting pressure on Chinese Christians, as local officials have increasingly targeted house church leaders, ICC said. Authorities have pushed to reshape church life by mandating the display of Communist imagery, stripping away traditional Christian symbols such as crosses, and enforcing Communist-driven education policies.

In September, the Chinese government rolled out new online regulations for religious clergy. The new rules prohibit unapproved religious teaching, livestreams, online courses, and commercial activity on social media platforms.

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

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