Churches in China Forced to Surrender Tithes and Offerings to Government

 

Some churches in China are being forced to hand over their tithes and offerings to government authorities as China continues cracking down on Christianity.

 

According to Chinaaid.org., the government in China’s province of Zheijiang has enacted a new law which forces churches to surrender all their tithes and offerings to authorities.

 

“The government officials will interfere with church affairs, managing our donations and some large-scale projects. We have to obtain their (the government’s) permission if we would like to buy equipment or decorate the church. We will have to ask for permission for any expenses more than a few thousand yuan,” a source told China Aid.

 

China has been increasing its persecution of Christians and crackdown against Christianity in the last few years.

 

In 2014, China’s president Xi Jinping began a "Beautification" campaign called the “Three Rectifications and One Demolition" campaign. Authorities have used this campaign as an excuse to demolish hundreds of churches and crosses. A number of Christians pastors and human rights lawyers have also been arrested for refusing to comply with the authorities’ demands.

 

Chinaaid.org notes that this year’s annual report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ranked China among the “countries of particular concern” where “the governments either engaged in or tolerated ‘particularly severe’ violations of religious freedom.”