Chinese house churches are Christian churches which operate independently of the government-run Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and China Christian Council (CCC) and are generally unregistered. They developed as a result of Chinese government policy which requires the registration of all religious organisations. This registration policy requires churches to become part of the TSPM/CCC set-up, which may involve interference in the church's internal affairs either by government officials or by TSPM/CCC officials, who are approved by the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department.
Because house churches operate outside government regulations and restrictions, their members and leaders are often persecuted by local government officials. Persecution may take the form of a prison sentence or, more commonly, [education through labour] ([劳动教养], [laodong jiaoyang]). Heavy fines are also not uncommon, with personal effects being confiscated in lieu of payment if this is refused or unavailable.
House churches are indigenous to China and are usually not under foreign control, although some groups welcome help from abroad as long as it does not compromise their independence. They have indigenous forms of worship and usually use their own songs. One collection of Chinese house church worship songs, Jianan Shixuan (迦南诗选) has been made into a book, with a VCD and tape of some of the songs available.
In the past two decades, a number of house church networks have developed, headquartered mainly in Henan and Zhejiang provinces. These networks have sent missionaries all over the country and have even started sending them abroad to neighbouring states.
