The pastor of China’s largest Christian church has been removed from his position
in what some are calling a move of retaliation against the pastor’s
opposition to the government’s removal of crosses from churches.
Christian Today reports that Pastor Gu Yuese was the pastor of Chongyi
Church in Hangzhou which has over 10,000 attendees each week.
China Aid has stated that Gu’s removal is an abuse of religious freedom.
However, two other groups, Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the
China Christian Council assert that Gu was dismissed so that China
could "move one step closer towards the proper self-establishment and
management of church locations by the two Christian organisations in
Hangzhou, promote the normal rotation of the principal Christians in
charge of churches and sort out the interpersonal relationship between
the province and the two municipal [Christian] organisations.”
Gu and his wife Zhou Lian Mei say that, despite the dismissal, they will continue to serve the church in other ways.
“Regardless of how the situation will be after this, we will inevitably
continue serving at Chongyi Church if there is no other guidance from
the Lord himself! Of course, the manner [of service] may change, but our
love of the Lord and his flock will never change, because we are the
Lord's servants! Thank God!"
The couple’s statement continues: "Increasingly, we feel God's good
intentions in this storm. It will refine every impurity in our ministry
team to the greatest extent and compel us to love the Lord and people
more purely."
Gu will be replaced by Pastor Zhang Zhongcheng, vice-chairman of the Hangzhou Chinese Christian TSPM Committee.
The Chinese government’s campaign to restrict Christianity has resulted
in hundreds of crosses taken down from churches, churches being
demolished, and pastors being arrested.
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