TUPELO, Miss.— China has removed over 250 church crosses in the first four months of 2020, and China’s crackdown on religion and religious minorities has drawn scrutiny from international groups such as the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), rights groups, and the U.S. State Department.

In the USCIRF 2020 annual report, it noted that Chinese authorities have not only removed crosses from churches, but they have also banned youth under the age of 18 from participating in religious services. Past reports have also indicated that some churches have begun replacing the singing of hymns with songs that praise the communist regime.

The American Family Association (AFA, www.afa.net) president, Tim Wildmon, says, “Christians in our nation should be praying for the persecuted church in China as this new wave of political oppression continues to grow in strength. These believers, living under a hostile communist government, continue to show great courage, resolve, and faithfulness, but they need our intercession in this dark hour. Moreover, this hostility simply manifests what communist regimes do. We recommend that people in this country think about that before advocating that America transition into a socialist state.”

For more than 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Visit AFA Action Alerts here.

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.

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To interview a representative from the American Family Association, contact [email protected], Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or ext. 102.