Christian Persecution in China | Global Christian Relief

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CHINA

What does Christian persecution in China look like?

China contains the world’s largest persecuted church, and under the reign of the current president, Xi Jinping, who took power in 2012, freedoms have rapidly deteriorated. China has two officially tolerated churches, the Catholic Patriotic Association (about 10m members) and the Protestant Three Self Patriotic Movement (about 25m), but the majority worship in Protestant “house churches” and live in a legal limbo. They are illegal though the state tolerates them, but pressures them to register and submit to more control. Control is the number one factor influencing Christian persecution in China.

 

But all churches are now under great pressure to praise the thought of President Xi and express an ideologically biased version of the Gospel that lauds the legitimacy and achievements of the Communist party. New directives from 2018 require churches to sever overseas links, and the ban on educating children in the faith was strengthened. In addition, China is not called the state where “Big Brother meets Big Data” for nothing. Christians are under surveillance like never before through their phones, and their attitudes and actions are fed into a social credit system that ranks loyalty to the ruling regime.

 

Christian leaders who refuse to parrot the government line can expect lengthy terms of imprisonment; Bibles can be bought at TSPM churches but are not on general sale, and Christian literature is harder to find, even online. Still, in the words of a Beijing pastor, “It’s because we have to pay a cost that the Gospel grows. People are curious as to who this Jesus is we are prepared to risk all to follow.”

 

Today, many Chinese Christians face increasing pressure from the Chinese government to align their faith with state-approved ideology. Independent churches, Bible studies, and Christian ministries that operate outside government oversight are often viewed with suspicion. While Christianity in China is not officially banned, authorities frequently target unregistered congregations, particularly those connected to the underground church movement.

 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expanded efforts to “Sinicize” religion, requiring faith groups to conform to state priorities. As a result, many church leaders have been detained, church buildings have been closed, and Christian content has become increasingly restricted online. For many believers, religious persecution in China is not only about imprisonment but also about surveillance, censorship, and limitations on worship, discipleship, and evangelism.

 

Even amid these challenges, Chinese Christians continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Many believers gather discreetly in homes, share digital resources, and maintain vibrant faith communities despite ongoing pressure from authorities.

Leadership:
President Xi Jinping
Government:
Communist state
Population
1.416 B
Christian pop.
135 M

“The Chinese Communist Party has 92 million members who no longer believe their founding texts; the Chinese church has 100 million members who read their Bibles every day and seek to live out those precepts in the name of Christ. Which do you think is winning now – and will win in the long term?”

— House church pastor and persecuted Christian in Wuhan

History of Christianity

Christianity arrived in four waves in China, but persecution made it hard to make inroads almost every time. As early as 625 AD, Nestorian Christians arrived, then in the 12th century the Franciscans, and in the 16th century the Jesuits. In the latter half of the 19th century, more than 2,000 Protestant missionaries arrived, establishing schools and hospitals as well as churches.


By the time Mao Zedong declared a Communist state in 1949, there were 3 million Catholics and 1 million Protestants. The new state sought to eradicate the faith, but the Protestant arm began to thrive, even under terrible persecution during the Cultural Revolution from 1966-76.


In the 1980s, a huge revival swept the countryside, when some 50 million came to faith, and in the 1990s and early 2000s this extended into the cities. The sheer number of Christians has meant that the Chinese Communist Party no longer seeks to eradicate Christianity but co-opt it.


Despite decades of pressure, Christianity in China has continued to grow. Many believers worship through house churches, small fellowships, and informal networks. This growth has led some observers to ask, "Is Christianity illegal in China?" While the answer is technically no, the reality is that many forms of independent Christian worship face significant restrictions and oversight.

History of Christianity

What does Christian persecution in China look like?

China contains the world’s largest persecuted church, and under the reign of the current president, Xi Jinping, who took power in 2012, freedoms have rapidly deteriorated. China has two officially tolerated churches, the Catholic Patriotic Association (about 10m members) and the Protestant Three Self Patriotic Movement (about 25m), but the majority worship in Protestant “house churches” and live in a legal limbo. They are illegal though the state tolerates them, but pressures them to register and submit to more control. Control is the number one factor influencing Christian persecution in China.

 

But all churches are now under great pressure to praise the thought of President Xi and express an ideologically biased version of the Gospel that lauds the legitimacy and achievements of the Communist party. New directives from 2018 require churches to sever overseas links, and the ban on educating children in the faith was strengthened. In addition, China is not called the state where “Big Brother meets Big Data” for nothing. Christians are under surveillance like never before through their phones, and their attitudes and actions are fed into a social credit system that ranks loyalty to the ruling regime.

 

Christian leaders who refuse to parrot the government line can expect lengthy terms of imprisonment; Bibles can be bought at TSPM churches but are not on general sale, and Christian literature is harder to find, even online. Still, in the words of a Beijing pastor, “It’s because we have to pay a cost that the Gospel grows. People are curious as to who this Jesus is we are prepared to risk all to follow.”

 

Today, many Chinese Christians face increasing pressure from the Chinese government to align their faith with state-approved ideology. Independent churches, Bible studies, and Christian ministries that operate outside government oversight are often viewed with suspicion. While Christianity in China is not officially banned, authorities frequently target unregistered congregations, particularly those connected to the underground church movement.

 

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has expanded efforts to “Sinicize” religion, requiring faith groups to conform to state priorities. As a result, many church leaders have been detained, church buildings have been closed, and Christian content has become increasingly restricted online. For many believers, religious persecution in China is not only about imprisonment but also about surveillance, censorship, and limitations on worship, discipleship, and evangelism.

 

Even amid these challenges, Chinese Christians continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Many believers gather discreetly in homes, share digital resources, and maintain vibrant faith communities despite ongoing pressure from authorities.