Contact: Rachel Sparkman, Media Coordinator, 888-889-7757, Rachel@ChinaAid.org; Mark Shan, Spokesperson, 267-205-5210, Mark@ChinaAid.org; both with China Aid Association; www.ChinaAid.org, www.MonitorChina.org

BEIJING, May 12, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Leading house church pastors in China on Wednesday released a historic first-ever petition to the national legislature calling for a special investigation into the events that led one of Beijing's largest house churches to clash with authorities over its attempts to hold outdoor worship services; meanwhile, Chinese church pastors in the United States and Canada launched a worldwide "Help Shouwang" signature campaign.

The petition to the National People's Congress is the first such action by China's house churches, also known as the underground church, in 60 years of Communist rule of China. It represents a further emboldening of the house church movement, which for decades was active only in the countryside, meeting in small groups in private homes and careful to maintain a low profile to avoid attracting government attention to the illegal gatherings.

In addition to asking for a special commission to be set up to look into the Shouwang Church events, the petition asks for a review of the constitutionality of China's current rules governing religious affairs.

The full text of the petition is available here:
www.chinaaid.org/2011/05/we-stand-up-for-our-faith-petition-to.html

Meanwhile, in the United States and Canada, leading Chinese church pastors launched a worldwide signature campaign ( www.HelpSW.org ) in hopes that drawing attention to the persecution of Shouwang Church will stay the Chinese government's hand in meting out even harsher punishments against the church and its leaders.

The effort was initiated by some former members of Shouwang Church who are now pastors of Chinese churches in the United States. Their bilingual May 10 appeal has already been signed by some of the most well-known pastors of Chinese congregations in the United States and Canada, including Boli Zhang, the former 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement student leader who now pastors the D.C.-area Harvest Chinese Christian Church.

A full report on the worldwide signature campaign is available here:
www.chinaaid.org/2011/05/leading-chinese-pastors-in-north.html?utm_source=BP_recent