East Gates seems to minimize the fact that religious persecution of Christians exists in China while while others say it is very prominent. What is the true story?
Oftentimes, letters and calls come into East Gates asking whether the persecution of Christians in China is as bad as the media and other ministries claim it to be. We are sent news clippings, brochures or newsletters from other organizations or ministries showing how they contradict what we claim to say is happening in China. They want to know the truth. For anyone who has worked in China for any length of time, they come to realize that, “Whatever you say about China is true and whatever you may hear about China may not be true.” There are many other ministries serving China like ourselves that do not speak to the religious persecution issue as often as others might wish but it does not mean we are not aware of the fact it exists. Having worked closely with Chinese governmental officials, registered and unregistered churches in every province over the past decade, East Gates knows the topic of religious persecution is a complicated one. As with most controversial subjects, it’s impor
