In a unprecedented move, a Chinese court has agreed to hear a case filed by a pastor against government officials who prohibited worship services in his house church, observers familiar with the trial said Wednesday, December 31.

Several Christian volunteers and survivors of China's worst earthquake in a generation remained missing Sunday, December 28, after Christmas Eve police raids on homes under construction in the devastated Sichuan province amid anger among authorities over the involvement of churches in relief efforts, an advocacy group said.

In a good turn of events, two Chinese pastors Wang Weiliang and Zhu Baoguo will be spending this year's Christmas at home after their miraculous release from jail by the authorities in China for medical reasons.

Christians in several parts of China were behind bars on Christmas Day after a police crackdown on worship services and Bible study, a Christian advocacy group said Thursday, December 25.

Over a dozen Christians will spend Christmas behind bars in China after police raided a Christian leaders gathering in Henan province, while in the capital Beijing two officials of the banned Chinese House Church Alliance were detained, an advocacy group and Chinese Christians confirmed Thursday, December 18.

Four Christians remained missing Friday, December 12, more than a month after they were detained in China's Hubei province amid a police crackdown on believers, including missionaries, in the region, a house church network said.

Chinese authorities have sentenced Christian Mao Minzi to a forced labor camp for his involvement in organizing a worship service with other believers in a house church, an advocacy group confirmed late Thursday, December 11,

There were concerns Wednesday, December 10, that Chinese authorities would launch a nationwide crackdown on the growing 'house churches, after the Ministry of Civil Affairs ordered the "abolishment" of a major umbrella group.

In recent months Chinese officials have attempted to build bridges with the Protestant house church movement even as police raided more unregistered congregations, arrested Christian leaders and forced at least 400 college students to swear they would stop attending such worship services.

ChinaAid learned a house church leader in Henan province, Pastor Zhu Baoguo, was sentenced to one year of "re-education through labor," accused of being an "evil cult" leader.

Chinese officials have yet to declare a new court date for Alimjan Yimit, a Christian house church leader and ethnic Uyghur in China's northwest province of Xinjiang detained since his arrest on Jan. 12.

A key leader of China's rapidly growing underground house church movement who disappeared last month, was free Saturday, November 8, after Chinese authorities released him and other family members, Chinese Christians confirmed.

Family and activists continued efforts Wednesday, October 22, to obtain the release of two Uyghur devoted Christians in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang, saying one of them may be executed while another believer is facing mistreatment in a labor camp.

The son of one of China's most well-known evangelists regained consciousness in a Bejing hospital Friday, October 17, a day after he was "severely beaten with iron bars" by Chinese security forces, friends said.

Pastor Zhang "Bike" Mingxuan and his wife celebrated their first peaceful Sunday in more than three months after officials restored their water and electricity and permitted their house church to gather, their supporters said Wednesday, October 1.