More than 70 Christians have been detained and interrogated by Chinese authorities in a sweeping crackdown on churches across eastern China, according to persecution watchdog Open Doors.

Pastors and worshippers were arrested during services, while others were taken from their homes or workplaces. Authorities questioned them about financial contributions and church affiliations.

“We have not seen such a massive force used to address church-related matters. This warrants serious attention,” said one Open Doors partner.

Thomas Müller*, Open Doors’ persecution analyst for China, said the scale of the operation was striking: “There were between 300 and 400 police officers involved, arriving in around 200 vehicles. That really shook the Christian community in China.”

More than 20 individuals have been fined, with penalties reaching tens of thousands of yuan. Many of the fines appear to be linked to tithing, a standard Christian practice now being reinterpreted by authorities as “fraud,” he explained.

“The tradition of tithing, which has existed for 2,000 years, is now being framed as financial fraud,” Müller noted. “This allows authorities to justify the crackdown as protecting society from so-called fraudsters.”

As a result, more than 80 house church groups have stopped meeting.

“It’s a warning to others. There’s a Chinese saying: ‘Kill the monkey to scare the chicken,’” Müller said. “This is part of a broader trend of shrinking space for Christians in China.”

He urged believers to pray for God’s wisdom and protection over the Chinese Christian community.

“The Church in China needs to know they’re not alone.”

*Name changed for security reasons.