The pastor of China’s largest Christian church has been removed from his position in what some are calling a move of retaliation against the pastor’s opposition to the government’s removal of crosses from churches.
Christian Today reports that Pastor Gu Yuese was the pastor of Chongyi Church in Hangzhou which has over 10,000 attendees each week.
China Aid has stated that Gu’s removal is an abuse of religious freedom.
However, two other groups, Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the China Christian Council assert that Gu was dismissed so that China could "move one step closer towards the proper self-establishment and management of church locations by the two Christian organisations in Hangzhou, promote the normal rotation of the principal Christians in charge of churches and sort out the interpersonal relationship between the province and the two municipal [Christian] organisations.” ...