Ministry News

Vietnamese House Church Leaders Attacked

Details

Friday, 19 June 2009 10:06

Despite following government orders to legally register itself as a church, a Vietnamese congregation continues to face severe persecution from local authorities. In the latest instance, police invaded the Sunday service of the Agape Baptist congregation in Vietnam's Hung Yen Province on June 7, beat worshippers—including women—and arrested a pastor and an elder. Christian sources said police put the two church leaders into separate cells and each man was beaten by a gang of five policemen. Pastor Duong Van Tuan of the house church in Hamlet 3, Ong Dinh Commune, Khoai Chau district said that officers delivered several hard blows to the stomach, so that the beatings would not leave marks.

The attacks came in retaliation for Tuan refusing to leave the area as police had ordered, Christian sources said. He and the church elder were released later that evening.

The congregation in Hung Yen, a small but populous province south of Hanoi, has endured harassment and attacks by police and other officials since April. Police officers disrupted worship services on April 19, bloodying Tuan's mouth with punches, and also on May 24 and 31. In the May 31 incident, he was attacked as he preached. The deputy commune police chief, identified only by his surname of Them, grabbed him by the neck while another officer tore the Bible from his hand, Christian sources said.

Authorities took Tuan to the office of the commune people's committee, clubbing him several times en route. Immediately after arriving at the office, police tried to force him to sign a document saying he had resisted their investigation, though he had yet to be questioned, and said that he was under administrative arrest. Sources said he was also ordered to sign a document accepting the seizure of his Bible, which they had taken from him two hours prior. Officers ended by issuing him an order "to leave the commune immediately by the most direct route."

One of the first things Tuan did on his arrival in March was to explain to church elders how to register their congregation's activities according to the Prime Minister's Special Directive on Protestantism of 2005. This directive permits and urges local authorities to register house churches to carry on religious activities. Tuan also went to the local Fatherland Front chair, a woman identified only as Hao, explained the church's aspirations and asked her to help them meet requirements.

The church elders submitted an application to register locally, in accordance with the directive. Authorities, however, did not respond within the 30-day period prescribed by the directive. On the 31st day, they sent a document denying registration.

In separate letters to supporting friends abroad, the leaders of the Agape Baptist House Church group, with 34 congregations throughout Vietnam, say that according to their long experience, "persecution is often a sign that the Lord is at work." They add that they are not discouraged and see a growing maturity among Christians who suffer and overcome such gratuitous abuse. But they also say they feel much pain in seeing their Christian family disrespected, mistreated and abused. [Compass Direct News, 6/18/09]