Property Disputes

Posted on 13 July 2009.

The Changchunli Church is a legally registered church in Jinan, Shandong province. Yet in June, the city's TSPM church authorities signed a deal with the government and real estate developers to close the church.

Neither the pastor nor the church members were informed until the deal was done. The resulting confrontation between the church authorities and believers led to church members refusing to leave the building. They were hoping to find a way to protect the church property through legal means.

In Jiangsu province, the registered Chengnan Christian Church is also under pressure from local authorities. Since 2006, government authorities and real estate developers have tried to force the church out of their building in order for commercial housing units to be built. Church members have been regularly harassed. In December 2008, the church's office, training centre and cafeteria were all demolished. This year, church members' tricycles and electric bicycles have been stolen during church meetings.

The main issue in these and other similar situations seems to be economic rather than religious. Land has greatly increased in value and both official church and government authorities are keen to cash in on the large sums of money offered by real estate developers. Ordinary Christian believers are usually the ones to lose out. "Forcible demolition of legally registered churches has become more common in recent years as government officials and real estate developers seek huge financial profits," comments China Aid.

Yet it is not just registered churches that are suffering because of the search for financial gain. On June 14, three house church leaders in Shaanxi province were arrested and given 10 days' detention for engaging in "illegal religious activities". Not that unusual an occurrence, but in this case the motive appeared to be financial profit. For many months, officials had been confiscating large tracts of land from the local villagers in order to make profits on real estate development. In response, villagers banded together to elect representatives to try and negotiate to protect their rights. Christians were chosen as some of the village representatives and began to speak out on the villagers' behalf. Then suddenly government officials and the local police decided to crack down on the house church. The church was declared closed; Christians were interrogated and warned they would face legal liabilities if they gathered together again. Such actions seemed more than a coincidence.

Pray for churches that are facing pressure from local authorities seeking to close buildings and make a profit from the land they are on. Pray for the Lord's guidance in each situation and for His help to find the best way forward.

Pray for church authorities who are complicit in such actions. May they be convicted of the need to stand up for Christian believers, rather than put financial gain above all else.

Pray that the Lord would protect His people and hold back authorities from confiscating church property. May believers regularly see miraculous intervention to turn events in their favour.