Uyghur Christian church faces closure amid crackdown in East Turkistan

BEIJING, China (MNTV) — A house church serving Uyghur Christians in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, also known as East Turkistan, is facing possible closure after authorities imposed stringent administrative requirements, threatened to demolish part of its property and intensified surveillance of its pastor, congregation and family members, according to reports from a Christian rights organization.

The allegations were reported by International Christian Concern (ICC), a U.S.-based religious freedom advocacy group, citing information from an established Christian ministry serving East Asia. For security reasons, the ministry withheld the pastor’s identity, referring to him simply as “the pastor.”

The pastor leads a small house church composed primarily of Uyghur Christians in southern Xinjiang. According to ICC, local officials have accused the congregation of violating regulations governing religious activities and ordered church leaders to submit extensive documentation detailing their operations.

Authorities also demanded that the church pay a substantial “compliance deposit” by June 25, church leaders said. They fear failure to meet the requirements could result in the permanent closure of the congregation and the demolition of part of the church property, which officials reportedly warned could begin as early as June 29.

The pressure has also extended to the pastor’s family. According to ICC, his adult son was detained and interrogated about his Christian faith and involvement with the church before being released under restrictions on his movements. His wife was also summoned by authorities and pressured to sign documents pledging not to participate in religious activities.

Church workers and members have reportedly been placed under heightened surveillance, while police have repeatedly questioned members of the congregation. Worship activities have also been restricted as authorities increased monitoring of the church building.

The reported crackdown comes amid broader restrictions on religious practice under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s policy of “Sinicizing” religion, a campaign aimed at bringing all recognized faiths under closer state control and aligning religious practice with the priorities of the ruling Communist Party.

Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnic group indigenous to East Turkistan, which China administers as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. While the overwhelming majority of Uyghurs are Muslim, a small number have converted to Christianity, often facing pressure not only from state authorities but also from surrounding communities because of their religious conversion.

Over the past decade, the Chinese government has been accused by governments, United Nations experts and human rights organizations of carrying out widespread abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. 

Reports have documented mass detention, pervasive digital surveillance, forced labor, family separations, coercive birth prevention policies and restrictions targeting religious and cultural identity.

In 2021, the United States formally determined that China’s actions against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities constituted genocide and crimes against humanity.