A service at a church in China on Sunday was interrupted, and its members were forbidden to hold services and were compelled to register with the authorities.

Huoshi Fellowship Church in China's northwestern Gansu province was raided by public security officials who also logged each church member and told them not to assemble at the church.

About 1,700 churches and 1,800 crosses have been demolished by the authorities since 2014.

Last year, public officials persecuted Huoshi Church, which is different from Huoshi Fellowship Church, in Guizhou province and incarcerated pastor Yang Hua for "illegally holding state secrets," and "divulging state secrets" in January, according to China Aid.

Yang's lawyers told China Aid that they suspected he was tortured in prison, and was coerced to take responsibility for crimes he had not committed.

"The person from the Procuratorate office who is in charge of this case had coerced Pastor Yang Hua [to confess to his crimes]," Chen said after meeting with Yang in April. "Now, Yang Hua is somewhat afraid. Since Yang Hua has not made any oral confessions, he has not done anything criminal. He neither understands the affairs of other people nor will speak irresponsibly about them."

Huoshi Church had to move out from the building after the landlord asked them to leave. The church then formed many mini-gatherings to continue church services and had to change places many times.

"Congregations are still held as small group gatherings. At least seven to eight people would attend, although not a large number of attendees," said Yang's wife, Wang Hongwu. "Many people joined different groups at different locations. Even so, the Jinyang group had to change locations several times because the police pressured the landlords, forcing them to revoke the lease."

Wang said that authorities interrogate church members regularly, hindering regular activities.

"For many years, the police have been eyeing Yang Hua and Huoshi Church with hostility," Chen said. "[They] deliberately fabricated charges against Yang Hua in order to imprison him. Now, all the houses purchased by [Huoshi Church] have been confiscated by the authorities. Currently, the circumstances [in which legal stipulations are carried out] eradicate ... all the churches that are not controlled by the government. Regarding these kinds of cases, the police's [actions] are largely arbitrary."

Yang's wife said that her main concern is members of the church, whom the police continues to harass.