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| 福建福华堂老年信徒聚会现场 (图：福华堂,2018年） |
（广东-2018年5月14日）广东省汕尾市陆河县基督教白石塘教会创办的老人院，于5月上旬被政府人员强拆。据信徒称，当局出动两百多名特警和强拆人员，强拆教会耗资数十万元兴建的老人院。该老人院被用作聚会，每次有约一百人参加。
汕尾市陆河县水唇镇一位基督徒本周一（5月14日）对记者披露，当地一座基督教老人院，一周前遭到强拆：“陆河这边有一个水唇镇一座基督教白石塘教会的老人院， 5月上旬遭到政府人员强行拆除。教会之前花了几十万元建了一个老人院。说是汕尾市政府政府派出的人，来拆老人院的。那个老人院也是聚会场所”。
据信徒称，当局强拆教堂和老人院的理由是“没有登记，属于违章建筑”。市政府出动两三、百人强拆：“汕尾市政府出动两、三百名特警来拆教堂。政府领导说建老人院前，没有经过合法审批，属违章建筑。还称，建宗教场所必须经过批准。《宗教事务条例》对筹备和设立宗教活动场所有明确规定”。
根据中国政府相关规定，设立宗教活动场所，须由向所在地的县级政府宗教事务部门提出申请。并报送市级政府宗教事务部门审批。
不过信徒强调，他们建的是老人院，非教堂。目前，被强拆的教会信徒打算聘请律师维权，但遭到基层政府官员威胁。一位陈姓信徒称：“一位姊妹想帮他们请律师，结果那边的领导出面威胁教会，说你们如果上访、找律师，连你们一起抓。后来他们教会连律师都不敢请。现在没办法，这件事也就不了了之了”。
据网络资料显示，白石塘教会位于水唇镇墩塘村，教会始于1927年，原教堂为砖瓦结构，后因社会混乱，姓氏纷争，教堂被毁，1931年起，信众并入墩塘教会。 鉴于白石塘等三个自然村，现有基督教信众60余户近500余人，长期以来宗教生活要到8公里外的墩子寨教堂，实属不便。三个自然村信众强烈希望修复民国初期创建、后被毁教堂——白石塘基督堂作为宗教活动场所，信徒自筹资金60多万于2009年11月完成修复。
据当地信徒称，被强拆的老人院属于信徒聚会点，每周有近一百人参加，教会领袖叫罕牧师，一向行事低调。
对华援助协会特约记者乔农报道
A Christian nursing home in Luhe, Shanwei was forcibly demolished
(Guangdong-2018-5-14)
During early May, the government forcibly demolished a nursing home established by the Baishitang Christian Church in Luhe County, Shanwei, Guangdong Province. According to local Christians, the government dispatched more than two hundred special police and workers to remove a nursing home that cost the church hundreds of thousands yuan to build. Before, more than a hundred Christians used the nursing home as a gathering point.
On Monday (May 14th), a Christian from Shuichun Town, Luhe County, Shanwei told the reporter that a local Christian nursing home was bulldozed by the government a week ago. “In Shuichun Town, Luhe, there was a nursing home established by the Baishitang Christian Church. In early May, the government razed the nursing home to ground, which the church spent hundreds of thousands to build. The government of Shanwei planned the demolition of the nursing home, which was also used as a gathering place.”
According to local Christians, the government used the excuse that “the church was an illegal construction without permission”. The city government dispatched two to three hundred people to knock down the church building. “The government of Shanwei assigned two to three hundred special police to bring down the church building. The government officials claimed that the church did not obtain government ratification before building the nursing home and that it is mandatory to obtain government permission before constructing any religious venues; the Regulations on Religious Affairs stipulates about setting up and building religious venues.”
According to Chinese policies, believers have to apply for permission at the county bureau of religious affairs and wait for ratification of the city government before setting up a religious venue.
The Christians emphasized that they built a nursing home, not a church. Members of the Baishitang Church planned to hire a lawyer, but the government officials prevented them from doing so. A church member named Chen said: “A sister wanted to help them finding a lawyer, but the officials threatened that the government would arrest the church members if they hire lawyers or petition at superior governments. The church members no longer dared to find lawyers. The case is hopeless.”
According to information online, the Baishitang Church originated in 1927 located in the Duntang Village, Shuichun Town. The church was built with bricks, and the church buildings got destroyed during a series of social upheavals. Since 1931, the members of the old Baishitang Church began to attend the Duntang Church. Since it was inconvenient for more than 500 Christians from 60 households, three villages to travel to the Dunzizhai Church eight kilometers away, the believers planned to renovate the Baishitang Christian Church built during the early years of the Republic of China. The local Christians raised more than 600,000 yuan and renovated the church in November, 2019.
According to local Christians, more than a hundred church members used the demolished nursing home as a gathering place. The leader of the church was Pastor Han, who kept a low profile.
China Aid Association Special Correspondent Qiao Nong
(Note: English version is translated by ChinaAid)
A Christian nursing home in Luhe, Shanwei was forcibly demolished
(Guangdong-2018-5-14)
During early May, the government forcibly demolished a nursing home established by the Baishitang Christian Church in Luhe County, Shanwei, Guangdong Province. According to local Christians, the government dispatched more than two hundred special police and workers to remove a nursing home that cost the church hundreds of thousands yuan to build. Before, more than a hundred Christians used the nursing home as a gathering point.
On Monday (May 14th), a Christian from Shuichun Town, Luhe County, Shanwei told the reporter that a local Christian nursing home was bulldozed by the government a week ago. “In Shuichun Town, Luhe, there was a nursing home established by the Baishitang Christian Church. In early May, the government razed the nursing home to ground, which the church spent hundreds of thousands to build. The government of Shanwei planned the demolition of the nursing home, which was also used as a gathering place.”
According to local Christians, the government used the excuse that “the church was an illegal construction without permission”. The city government dispatched two to three hundred people to knock down the church building. “The government of Shanwei assigned two to three hundred special police to bring down the church building. The government officials claimed that the church did not obtain government ratification before building the nursing home and that it is mandatory to obtain government permission before constructing any religious venues; the Regulations on Religious Affairs stipulates about setting up and building religious venues.”
According to Chinese policies, believers have to apply for permission at the county bureau of religious affairs and wait for ratification of the city government before setting up a religious venue.
The Christians emphasized that they built a nursing home, not a church. Members of the Baishitang Church planned to hire a lawyer, but the government officials prevented them from doing so. A church member named Chen said: “A sister wanted to help them finding a lawyer, but the officials threatened that the government would arrest the church members if they hire lawyers or petition at superior governments. The church members no longer dared to find lawyers. The case is hopeless.”
According to information online, the Baishitang Church originated in 1927 located in the Duntang Village, Shuichun Town. The church was built with bricks, and the church buildings got destroyed during a series of social upheavals. Since 1931, the members of the old Baishitang Church began to attend the Duntang Church. Since it was inconvenient for more than 500 Christians from 60 households, three villages to travel to the Dunzizhai Church eight kilometers away, the believers planned to renovate the Baishitang Christian Church built during the early years of the Republic of China. The local Christians raised more than 600,000 yuan and renovated the church in November, 2019.
According to local Christians, more than a hundred church members used the demolished nursing home as a gathering place. The leader of the church was Pastor Han, who kept a low profile.
China Aid Association Special Correspondent Qiao Nong
(Note: English version is translated by ChinaAid)