Church leaders released by Chinese cult

BEIJING, China — A Chinese cult has released a group of evangelical church leaders it kidnapped in April. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that more than 30 leaders of China Gospel Fellowship were released unharmed by the Eastern Lightning cult.

Members of the pseudo-Christian religion lured the leaders to phony meetings April 19 and allegedly kidnapped them. China Gospel Fellowship, which has been persecuted by Chinese communists in the past, was forced to ask the government for help to find the missing leaders. Few details are known about the conditions of the release, but CSW confirms that all of the leaders were freed.