China Lifts High the Cross (Right Off Dozens of Churches)

Photos show that campaign to ‘de-Christianize’ the skyline of ‘China’s Jerusalem’ continues.

When a megachurch’s walls came tumbling down in China’s Jerusalem last month, the forced demolition drew widespread international attention thanks to photos circulating on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. Now, Weibo photos have documented how local authorities have continued their campaign to de-Christianize the skyline of wealthy Wenzhou, one of China’s most Christian cities.

The latest in the reported “Three Rectifications and One Demolition” campaign comes from the city of Ningbo, where famous missionary James Hudson Taylor once worked. Officials have ordered services to halt at the 1,000-member Xiaying Holy Love megachurch, and demolition work has reportedly already begun after the church refused to tear down the large cross atop its 10-story building.

The Telegraph, which has chronicled the plight of Christians and churches in China’s southeastern province of Zhejiang this spring, reports that six churches so far have been completely or partially destroyed. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) lists 18 churches and two hospitals that have been targeted, demolished, or had crosses and religious symbols removed or destroyed. And ChinaAid documents the number of threatened or destroyed churches—in Zhejiang as well as neighboring Anjui province—at 64, with photos of many of the incidents. President Bob Fu writes at On Faith:

Some say the tension in Zhejiang was prompted by a provincial official’s observation during his inspection tour of Wenzhou that too many crosses dominated the cityscape, especially at night.

Fu writes that ChinaAid obtained the instructions local authorities received regarding the crosses: