The building above hosts the house church which Mou leads.

Expose
Officials suspend welfare payments for Christians 

    Officials in China’s central Guizhou province announced the termination of welfare for Christians who attend churches on July 2, mirroring a similar incident that occurred two years prior. 

    Mou, a house church member in the affected area, said, “[Officials verbally] announced on July 2 that Christians could not have welfare or any old-age insurance … Now, the county [government] called on the government in the towns and villages to order believers to sign [a guarantee], stating that if they gathered again, their welfare would be cut off.”

    This kind of pressure is reminiscent of an ongoing persecution case in China’s inland Sichuan province. On Sept. 28, 2014, 36 Miao Christians, an ethnic minority in China, were detained and then individually released 5-11 days afterward. Since that time, the government interrupted their welfare payments. 

    On July 14 of this year, Zhang Shucai, a member of one of the affected Miao churches, said, “Not long ago, I went back to my hometown and asked my parents about [the welfare payment cancellation]. They told me that they still hadn’t received their welfare. [Authorities] only arrested my mother last time, but they canceled the welfare of both of my parents.”