September 14, 2015
Huang Xiaoyuan, a deacon of Shangzhou Church and Zhang Zhi, a deacon of Zianqiao Church, were detained by police and charged with “gathering a crowd to disturb public order,” according to China Aid.
Last Sunday, Huang’s church re-erected their church’s cross which the government had ordered be taken down as part of the campaign to remove crosses from all Chinese churches.
Government authorities cut off the church’s power after the cross was re-erected, but church members brought in a generator so that the church could have lighting.
The government authorities then told church members to take the cross back down and detained Huang.
Zhang was also arrested after his church re-erected their cross. He was sentenced to five days in administrative detention. It is not known what kind of sentence Huang received.
China Aid reports that these two recent arrests make 14 detainments the Chinese government has made in the last two weeks, including notable human rights lawyer, Zhang Kai, who has garnered international attention.
