Photo Courtesy: China Christian Daily
The Chinese government has a Gu problem and it thinks it can slow the growth of Christianity by removing the irritant.
Gu is Joseph (Yuese) Gu, the Senior Pastor of Chongyi Church, China's first mega-church. It's a government, Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) church located in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province.
On January 18, Gu was removed from his position and taken to an undisclosed location. The government sent Gu's family a notice saying it had placed him under "residential surveillance in a designated location."
Christian activists say that means he's been taken to a secret "black jail."
Why Gu, and why now?
Pastor Gu serves as chairman of the China Christian Council (GCC) of Zhejiang. He's pastored Chongyi Church for more than 10 years and his church has grown from 2,000 members in 2005, to more than 10,000 today.
Also, Gu has been an outspoken critic of the recent mass removal of crosses from church rooftops throughout Zhejiang Province.
According to China Aid's Bob Fu, Joseph Gu is the highest ranking national church leader arrested since China's Cultural Revolution. Fu also says six more crosses have been removed from Zhejiang churches within the past week.
Gu's removal and secret detention--along with the church cross removals demonstrates the governent's determination to stop the spread of Christianity in China. And now, it's not just unregistered house churches that are being targeted.
Chinese government leaders should come to realize they cannot prevent the spirit of God from spreading--even in the government churches.
Christians pose no threat to China. They're actually good citizens who simply love their country, love to worship freely, and love God.