Members of the Shouwang congregation in China were arrested Sunday as they gathered to pray in the commercial area of Zhongguancun in Beijing.

Leaders of Shouwang Church, the largest unregistered church in Beijing, have been in an ongoing battle with authorities since being forced out of their worship space and prevented from renting or buying a new building.

Sunday wasn't the first time church members had been taken into custody by authorities.

On April 10, police detained 169 members attempting to hold services in a public park. Then on Easter Sunday, police detained about 34 church members.

Despite the mounting persecution, house church leaders are taking a stand for the Shouwang congregation. Nineteen house church leaders are petitioning China's legislature to resolve the ongoing tensions and to guarantee religious freedom in their country.

CBN News recently spoke with David Aikman, the author of 'Jesus in Beijing,' about the danger house church leaders face and the status of Christianity in China today. Click play to watch.