The Persecution and Prayer Alert is a free weekly email service of The Voice of the Martyrs in Canada sent to anyone who subscribes for it. Prayer Urgently Needed in Eritrea The Voice of the Martyrs has learned of disturbing developments facing the church in Eritrea that require your urgent prayers. While we are unable to go into details for security reasons, recent government actions demonstrate an alarming escalation of the persecution facing evangelicals in this restrictive East African nation. To view a recent video report on the persecution of Christians in Eritrea, click here . For recent reports, go to click here . Please make this country a prayer priority this week. Eritrean pastor shows how he was tortured by Eritrean authorities Chinese House Church Leaders Arrested; One Dies in Custody On May 9, another church leader, Zhao Wenquan (60), was arrested in Hegou Town, Anhui Province in east-central China. According to a May 25 news release from China Aid, more than four thousand Christians had gathered in the village for a special harvest festival. Since the town's church normally has less than three hundred people, the gathering attracted the attention of the local PSB who raided their meeting. Zhao was arrested when the celebration ended. About a dozen other leaders escaped and are presently in hiding. Zhao was charged with "disturbing the social order" and organizing an "illegal religious gathering." If sentenced, he could face three years of "re-education through labour." | |
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