A house church door in Jiangsu Province was sealed to “reduce mass gatherings in compliance with coronavirus restrictions”, according to a local pastor.
The anonymous pastor said on August 3 that the place where his congregation gathered on Aug 1 was sealed by local authorities.
Government workers interrupted the ongoing in-person Sunday service in which the pastor was going to preach after the communion service. Shouting the words “reducing mass gatherings in compliance with coronavirus restrictions” through a loudspeaker, they cut off electricity, then had the door sealed.
Some other house churches in the area were also shut down. A house church in a surrounding town even announced the suspension of in-person services on its own initiative.
8月3日,苏州相城区一家庭教会牧者展示了8月1日主日当天他们教会聚会的地方大门被贴封条的照片,相关部门给出的理由是“疫情防控,减少聚众”。
他介绍说,8月1日举行了实地主日礼拜,刚刚举行了圣餐还未来得及证道时就被迫中断,不久后社区带来了一些相关管理人士,用大喇叭喊着是“疫情防控,减少聚众”,之后就把电给断了,然后贴了封条。
除了他这处聚会,另外2处也被停了。相城区还有其他一些教会也被叫停。
除了相城区,苏州其他一些区也有教会遇到类似情况。周边的镇有家庭教会自己主动停了实地聚会。
2021.8.1 苏州一些家庭教会以“防疫”为理由被贴封条
A house church door in Jiangsu Province was sealed to “reduce mass gatherings in compliance with coronavirus restrictions”, according to a local pastor.
The anonymous pastor said on August 3 that the place where his congregation gathered on Aug 1 was sealed by local authorities.
Government workers interrupted the ongoing in-person Sunday service in which the pastor was going to preach after the communion service. Shouting the words “reducing mass gatherings in compliance with coronavirus restrictions” through a loudspeaker, they cut off electricity, then had the door sealed.
Some other house churches in the area were also shut down. A house church in a surrounding town even announced the suspension of in-person services on its own initiative.
Jiangsu House Churches Closed Due to 'COVID Restrictions'