Pastor and Leader in Chinese House Church Alliance beaten.

House churches are a popular way to worship the Lord Jesus in America. They are also a popular way for believers to worship in China as well, but for completely different reasons.

Here in the USA we have not yet suffered unto the shedding of blood because we name the name of Jesus and gather weekly with fellow believers so that we can worship the Living God and study and learn about Him.

It's a different story in many areas of communist China. The house church movement there started out of a need for secrecy and safety from a government bent upon removing Christ from their society. And indeed, I am reminded that they still need secrecy and safety today as attested to by the report from our friends at China Aid on Pastor Zhan Gang of Jiaozhou Church in Shandong.

SHANDONG -- On October 26, 2010, as Pastor Zhan Gang of Jiaozhou Church in Shandong arrived at the church with [sic] along with some members for a usual morning study. Suddenly, they were attacked and beaten by thugs hired by the local Three-Self Patrotic Movement (TSPM) church. The attackers were suspected of being plain-clothed agents. Pastor Zhan is also the general secretary of Chinese House Church Alliance.

The TSPM is the state sanctioned and constructed church in China and has at its heart the desire of the state to make its followers "good" communists.

China Aid reports that Pastor Zhan and the brothers and sisters he shepherds have been banned from the building and its facilities now.