Story number 1 for 19 May 2000

Our newscast begins in China where Voice of the Martyrs is reporting an increase in harsh treatment of active house church members. There have been arrests of many Christians and house church leaders in seven areas of the Guangdong Province. VOM’s Todd Nettleton. “It’s more widespread than it has been. In this case, there’s 13 different people that have been arrested, and they’ve been arrested in different villages across Southern China. So, it seems to be a much more concerted effort to crack down on the house churches.” Nettleton says while some ministries are more effective when they register, for the small house church: “I think the ultimate question is: “Who do you want to answer to?” In the case of these house church pastors, they have said, “We are accountable only to God, and we refuse to be accountable to the Communist government. The official line is that there is no God, so how can we worship God and be accountable to these people who don’t believe there is a God?””