NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The future of the persecuted church in China will be "darker before it becomes brighter," Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association, told Baptist Press as the Olympics drew to a close in Beijing.
"Given the increased persecution before and even during the Olympic Games in spite of international attention, we can only expect persecution to increase in severity in the year following the Olympic Games," Fu said.
Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, also acknowledged a challenge ahead for the Chinese citizenry now that thousands of tourists have headed for home.
"We need to pray for our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ as they struggle in their country for freedom of conscience and freedom of faith," Land said in a statement to Baptist Press.
Fu, who met with President Bush at the White House days before Bush left to attend the opening ceremony in Beijing, noted several occurrences prior to and during the Games that indicate where the country might be headed in terms of religious freedom.
"The first and most notable was the detention of House Church Alliance president Zhang Mingxuan and his wife," Fu said. "The second was the deceptive arrangements made by the Communist Party of China to accommodate President George W. Bush's visit to a house church in Beijing.
"The Chinese government staged a house church, replacing normal members with government officials," Fu stated. "Public Security Bureau authorities also tried to detain pastor Hua Huiqi for his attempt to attend the service with President Bush. Read More
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