China (MNN) — Christian search terms (such as “Bible” and “Gospel”) seem to have been blocked and Christian accounts deleted on popular Chinese social media platform WeChat. Users have also noticed they can’t upload Christian videos or music.
Kurt Rovenstine of Bibles for China says these restrictions fall in line with others changes by the Chinese government. “There’s been changes, from no foreigners being present, to even restrictions on gatherings. And then COVID-19 hit, and there was this mass exodus from churches for the sake of the health and well-being of the Church. We saw the creativity of the Church to be able to meet by way of social media, online services, etc. And now, it seems as if that’s being restricted.”
The flexibility of the Chinese Church
But Rovenstine says Chinese Christians have learned to be nimble about their methods. And they have needed to be, with constantly shifting government regulations over the years.
Pray for wisdom as they seek to creatively function and point others to Jesus. Rovenstine says, “These folks love Jesus, they love their neighbors, and they love their country even though it may not be everything they want it to be. So [pray] for them to find balance in who they are as Chinese, but also as followers of Jesus Christ. [They] want their friends to know the same truth that they know.”
The header photo shows a WeChat advertisement. (Photo courtesy of Discott, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
