China’s intensifying assault on religious freedom has once again exposed the Chinese Communist Party’s deep-seated hostility toward independent belief systems, as authorities escalate their crackdown on underground Protestant churches across the country. On January 6, 2026, Chinese security forces arrested six members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, including prominent church leader Li Yingqiang, an action that human rights groups say exemplifies Beijing’s systematic persecution of religious minorities.
Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the arrests, noting that those detained were merely exercising basic religious freedoms protected under international human rights law. Yet in China, such freedoms exist only on paper. The detentions form part of a wider pattern of raids, surveillance, and intimidation targeting house churches nationwide, underscoring the Communist Party’s determination to eradicate any religious expression that operates beyond its absolute control.
Over the past year, well-known congregations such as Beijing’s Zion Church and Zhejiang’s Yayang Church have been subjected to repeated police raids, mass detentions, and even demolitions of church property. Authorities routinely misuse vague and politically loaded charges, ranging from “illegal business operations” to alleged links with so-called “cults” to criminalise peaceful worship. At the same time, the state has expanded its digital authoritarian toolkit, deploying facial-recognition surveillance, intrusive monitoring, and coercive registration rules to track, intimidate, and silence believers.
Christian pastors and congregants continue to face arbitrary detention, prolonged imprisonment, harassment, and forced ideological indoctrination sessions designed to replace religious belief with loyalty to the Communist Party. Rights advocates warn that these tactics mirror the broader repression faced by other minorities in China, including Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners, revealing a unified strategy to crush spiritual identities that compete with state ideology.
Analysts argue that the crackdown is driven by Beijing’s so-called “Sinicisation” policy, which seeks to hollow out religious faith and refashion it into a tool of socialist propaganda. Under this framework, Christianity is tolerated only if stripped of its theological independence and subordinated entirely to party doctrine. Any refusal to comply is treated as a political threat rather than a matter of conscience.
Below, we provide 20 detailed incidents highlighting the brutality faced by Christians under China’s crackdown.
1. China Arrests Six Members of Underground Protestant Church in Chengdu
Half a dozen members of an underground Protestant church based in Sichuan’s Chengdu have been arrested by Chinese authorities, according to a statement from Human Rights Watch (HRW). This marks the latest in a series of arrests of members of prominent unofficial “house churches” in China over the past year.
On January 6, the Early Rain Covenant Church stated that police raided the home of its current leader, Li Yingqiang, in Deyang and took him away. The church further stated that other key members have also been taken into custody.
Those detained include Ye Fenghua, Yan Hong, Zeng Qingtao and Dai Zhichao. Police summoned another Early Rain adherent, Shu Qiong, in Chengdu for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Police also summoned Wu Wuqing, then released him and warned against “being involved in the case.”
The crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church occurred just weeks after authorities detained approximately 100 members of another unofficial Protestant church, Yayang Church in Zhejiang’s Wenzhou, between December 13-18, 2025. At least 24 members continue to remain in detention.
Local authorities surrounded the Yayang Church on January 5 with hundreds of armed and special police, as well as bulldozers and other machinery, apparently to demolish part or all of the church, according to the US-based religious freedom organisation China Aid. In October 2025, authorities arrested nearly 30 pastors, preachers, and church members of Zion Protestant Church in seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. Those arrested include the church’s founder and pastor, Ezra Jin Mingri.
In mid-2025, courts in China convicted about a dozen people affiliated with the Linfen Golden Lampstand Church, an underground Protestant church in Shanxi province, for fraud. The church’s cofounder and pastor, Wang Xiaoguang, and his wife, Yang Rongli, were sentenced to 9 and 15 years in prison, respectively.
Founded in 2008, Early Rain Covenant Church has been targeted by the Chinese government for years. More than 100 congregants were taken into police custody in December 2018. In 2019, its founding pastor, Wang Yi, was sentenced to nine years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power” and conducting “illegal business operations,” while another church leader, Qin Defu, was imprisoned for four years for conducting “illegal business operations.” The current leader, Li Yingqiang, and three others were briefly detained in September 2024 for suspected “illegal activities.”
Human Rights Watch stated that concerned governments should condemn the Chinese government’s assault on religious freedom and pressure the authorities to free those related to underground churches who have been detained for exercising their basic rights.
2. Chinese Pastor Arrested for Sharing Sermon Recordings
A prominent Protestant pastor in eastern China has been formally arrested for selling sermon recordings, in what Christian advocates describe as part of an ongoing campaign to suppress religious expression.
Pastor Huang Yizi, a well-known church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was notified on July 30 that he had been arrested on charges of “illegal business operations” a vague accusation often used by authorities to prosecute religious leaders. The charges relate to the distribution of audio recordings of his sermons.
Huang was initially detained on June 26 alongside four other church members from cities across Zhejiang Province: Ningbo, Quzhou, and Taizhou. All five were taken by the Pingyang Public Security Bureau and placed under administrative detention the following day. Two of them were released on bail on July 25, while two others remain in detention with unclear charges. A sixth believer was reportedly detained on July 17 and also remains in custody.
Huang’s representative said the official arrest process was unusually quick, raising concerns about the lack of transparency. Authorities are required to seek arrest approval from the procuratorate within 30 days of detention. Although Huang’s team expected a decision shortly after the July 25 deadline, they later discovered his arrest had already been approved and listed on China’s official legal platform the same day, without any prior notification or documentation.
Pastor Huang’s church was formerly part of the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), which makes the prosecution even more concerning, according to Christian rights groups.
The Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Group condemned the use of the “illegal business operations” charge, stating that freedom of religion includes the right to record and share sermons, and that such activity is protected by China’s own constitution.
3. China Escalates Christian Persecution Amid Economic Pressures
Rising economic pressures have triggered a new wave of persecution against Christians in China. Authorities are arresting pastors for collecting tithes and offerings, while restricting foreign missionary activities.
Social unrest stems from a slowing economy, partly due to U.S. export tariffs. Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, stated that masses are marching for democracy amid this pain, but people need faith.
Xi Jinping’s government imposed new restrictions on foreign missionaries on May 1. China Aid President Bob Fu said nearly every foreign Christian missionary, operating under business or student visas, is being banned from serving in China.
Foreigners cannot preach or teach without rare Communist Party-authorised permission. King noted hidden missionaries stay until caught. In registered Three-Self Patriotic Churches, hymns must align with communist principles; congregations sing the communist anthem before the doxology, Fu said.
4. China Formally Arrests 18 Beijing Zion Church Leaders in Major Crackdown
Chinese authorities have formally arrested 18 leaders of the Beijing Zion Church, according to Christian rights organisation ChinaAid. The group had been detained since early October as part of a sweeping nationwide operation targeting unregistered churches, as reported by The Epoch Times.
Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, stated that the detainees are accused of “illegally using information networks,” a charge that carries a maximum three-year prison sentence.
The crackdown began on October 9, when police in Beihai, Guangxi, launched a coordinated, multi-province action against Zion Church members. Within days, prominent pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin and nearly 30 pastors, ministers and congregants were rounded up across China, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. The arrests triggered criticism from the US State Department and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Police also interrogated the wife of one detainee. Under Chinese law, suspects cannot be held for more than 37 days without a formal arrest. Earlier detainees were kept at Beihai’s No 1 and No 2 detention centres, with four released on bail.
Zion Church, founded by Jin in 2007 after he converted following the Tiananmen Square massacre, grew to nearly 5,000 members across 50 cities. Authorities shut its premises in 2018, forcing operations online, an activity now restricted under new rules banning unsanctioned preaching on the internet.
5. China Detains Two Protestant Church Members for “Cult” Activities
China has arrested two members of a Protestant church in the eastern province of Anhui for refusing to join a state-supported organisation, charging them with involvement in a “cult,” as reported by Radio Free Asia.
Police in Fuyang city of Anhui province raided the Wheatseed Reform Church and detained two of its members under administrative detention for allegedly engaging in cult activities that pose a threat to society, according to the Weiquanwang rights website.
The two detained church members have hired lawyers and filed for an administrative review, but the Fuyang municipal government has not yet accepted or rejected the request. According to the US-based Christian rights group China Aid, the two church members recently received 15-day administrative detention sentences for “using cult activities to endanger society.”
China has numerous unauthorised “house churches” throughout the country, which are often raided by authorities. Even some “Three-Self” churches have occasionally been targeted as well.
6. Chinese Authorities Raid Protestant House Church During Annual Congress
Chinese authorities conducted a raid on a Protestant “house church” in Anhui province during a nationwide security crackdown coinciding with the annual National People’s Congress in Beijing, as reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Police and local authorities raided the Xinyi Village Church in Huainan city, Anhui, detaining nine members, including Pastor Zhao Hongliang. Four men, including Zhao, are currently under “criminal detention,” while the other five were released on bail.
Local officials from the neighbourhood committee and the religious affairs bureau have taken over the church premises, and police continue to intimidate its congregation.
7. China’s Patriotic Education Law Enforces Crackdown on Religious Freedom
Late last month, on Christmas Eve, China’s top political adviser, Wang Huning, delivered a stern message to Christian leaders, urging “strict” management of religious affairs and unwavering allegiance to the Communist Party’s vision for Christianity. Wang outlined a clear vision for the future of Christianity in China, insisting that religious leaders must “adhere to the direction of Sinicization of Christianity.”
Churches already are raising questions and concerns about how they will comply with the new law.
In its bid to comply, U.S.-based Christian rights group China Aid said that one Christian church in the northeastern city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province, changed its Sunday worship activities from performing gospel songs to performing patriotic songs and dances and telling patriotic stories of the Chinese Red Army’s Long March during the Chinese Civil War.
Pastor Guan, who has worked in the southern city Guangzhou for many years, told VOA that he and his believers have always supported the rule of the Communist Party and love China because they believe this is God’s arrangement. What they object to is the party’s request that they preach false doctrines that are not in line with the Bible. Guan was expelled from Guangzhou last summer and can live only in another city in Guangdong Province to continue his preaching work. “We live under Chinese laws and regulations. We have not committed any crime. Our ‘sin’ is not following the Sinicization of Christianity and not sacrificing faith to safeguard the leadership of the Communist Party,” Guan said.
Last month, the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau of Guangzhou released a video on how to report illegal religious activities and said those who provide clues and assist in investigating unlawful religious organizers could receive rewards up to 10,000 yuan, roughly $1,400.
The local official Catholic churches in Henan Province have explicitly prohibited young people under 18 from entering churches to participate in Mass and priests from hosting activities such as youth training classes and summer and winter camps. Officials would impose heavy fines of up to 838,000 yuan, roughly $117,700, on those who hold Sunday school, according to the Christian Post.
Pastor Mu began preaching in Beijing more than 20 years ago, through family gatherings. He and his church have been unwilling to register under the government’s Three-Self Patriotic Movement, which supervises Protestant churches. Mu has been under government surveillance for more than 20 years. The church he worked for had to move several times due to harassment by the authorities. Some of his church colleagues were recently arrested by authorities and are still in jail.
8. China Escalates Religious Freedom Crisis Targeting Christian Churches
According to an article published by the Ministry of Public Security on February 13, 2025, Chinese security agencies increased efforts in 2024 to dismantle xie jiao organizations, claiming they are committed to curbing the development and spread of xie jiao organizations to reduce potential threats to national political security.
In 2024, the Chinese government launched a large-scale crackdown on religious minority groups across the country. Public security authorities nationwide organized over 56,000 anti-xie jiao activities, covering all provinces and cities, affecting more than 17 million people. Over 18 million netizens were mobilized to participate in the online campaign “Say No to Xie Jiao,” being forced to publicly declare their opposition to religious groups deemed “illegal” by the government.
At least 12,000 Christians were investigated, threatened, or detained by the government for participating in house church activities, with more than 1,000 individuals sentenced or sent to “re-education camps.” More than 2,000 house churches were shut down, and at least 500 churches and meeting places were demolished nationwide, including state-approved Three-Self churches.
In the Hubei Suizhou Word of Life Church case, more than twenty pastors and church members were arrested, with nine formally indicted and four released on bail before trial. Prosecutors accused them of “spreading heresy,” with charges including organizing worship, church activities, and discipleship training. On Christmas Day 2024, at another Word of Life church in Nyingchi, Tibet, ten Christians were criminally charged for evangelizing, with three formally arrested and seven released on bail before trial.
A Hudson Institute report listed ten Catholic bishops who faced persecution in 2024, including Bishop James Su Zhimin of Baoding Diocese, secretly detained since 1997; Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou Diocese, detained multiple times since 2016 and taken away again on January 2, 2024; Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu of Xinxiang Diocese, arrested in 2021; Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin of Shanghai Diocese, under house arrest since 2012; Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding Diocese, taken into custody in August 2020; Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin of Mindong Diocese, forced to resign after 2020; Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen of Tianjin Diocese, under house arrest since 2007; Bishop Augustine Cui Tai of Xuanhua Diocese, arrested in April 2021; Bishop Joseph Xing Wenzhi of Shanghai Diocese, disappeared in 2011; and Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong Diocese, arrested in 2022.
The CCP has advanced its Sinicization of Religion policy, including banning minors from entering churches, forcing clergy to undergo political indoctrination, altering the Bible to align with Communist Party ideology, and preventing unsanctioned religious activities. A public notice issued by China’s Ministry of Public Security in October 2024 implemented measures such as escalating crackdowns on house churches, raiding private homes, arresting believers, forcing apostasy statements, advancing the “Spring Rain Project” for ideological reformation, high-tech surveillance via the “Loyalty Scoring System,” and complete censorship of religious dissemination.
9. Church of Almighty God Releases 2024 Persecution Report
The Church of Almighty God (CAG) released its 2024 Annual Report on the Chinese Communist Government’s (CCP) Persecution of The Church of Almighty God. In 2024, at least 19,053 CAG Christians were arrested, 2,175 were sentenced, 9,762 were subjected to torture or forced indoctrination, and 24 were persecuted to death.
The report reveals that the CCP issued secret directives launching a “Three-Year Tough Battle” to completely eradicate The Church of Almighty God, with 2024 as the first year. Authorities across China utilised data and information from “video surveillance tracking, facial recognition, communication records, and medical visit records,” along with methods such as “satellite positioning and public reporting,” for large-scale investigations, searches and arrests of CAG Christians. Starting in June, nationwide mass arrest operations continued unabated, leading to a 53% surge in arrests from 2023.
From June to December, 1,065 CAG members were arrested in Zhejiang Province, accounting for 98% of its yearly total. In Henan Province, 2,365 church members were arrested during the same period, while 2,145 were arrested in Shandong Province in the second half of the year, both making up 88% of their respective annual totals. As a pilot city for the “Three-Year Tough Battle” crackdown, nearly all CAG members in Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, were arrested, with many cases remaining untraceable. In Anhui Province, at least 3,925 arrests were recorded throughout the year, marking the highest number of arrests nationwide for four consecutive years, with an average annual increase of 34.8%.
Arrested CAG Christians were widely subjected to torture. To meet quotas, authorities across the country used brutal “transformation” tactics and violent interrogations, such as hanging by handcuffs, electric shocks, exhausting an eagle (sleep deprivation), starvation, prolonged standing, molestation, and sexual humiliation. Some suffered torture, resulting in permanent disabilities, mental breakdowns, loss of self-care ability, or even suicide by hanging. In Henan, one CAG Christian endured 30 days of violent indoctrination, during which police deprived her of sleep and beat her, breaking her two ribs. In Anhui, a 17-year-old CAG Christian was subjected to seven days and nights of sleep deprivation known as the “Exhausting an Eagle” torture. In October 2024, two CAG Christians in Changchun, Jilin Province, died within four days due to brutal persecution.
The report reveals a sharp increase in the number of harsh sentences for CAG Christians in 2024. A total of 168 individuals were sentenced to seven years or more, marking a 35.5% increase from 124 cases in 2023. The longest sentence recorded was 14 years. Guangdong Province has led the nation in the proportion of sentences of seven years or longer for two consecutive years, with such cases in 2024 accounting for 16% of the total sentences nationwide. This includes six individuals sentenced to 11 years, nine to 10 years, and one fined up to 180,000 RMB. On December 10, 2024, the Laiwu District People’s Court in Jinan, Shandong Province, sentenced 23 CAG Christians in a group trial. Among them, three upper-level church leaders received 12-year sentences and fines of 120,000 RMB each, while a lay believer was sentenced to 10 years with a fine of 100,000 RMB.
10. Multiple House Church Persecution Cases Reported Across China
In November 2024, there were frequent persecution cases against Christian house churches in China. According to the “5 PM in China” prayer meeting group for Chinese house churches, there were eight cases of arrests, detentions, summons, raids, and court trials during this month.
On November 3, 2024, several house churches in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province were simultaneously raided. Around 10 AM while an Elder was preaching, over 50 police officers rushed in, including national security agents, religious affairs bureau officials, local police officers, auxiliary police officers, and patrol officers. Without explanation, they handcuffed the Pastor, and later handcuffed the Elder and several female believers, totaling eight people. They were released around 10 PM, but the police threatened severe punishment for the Pastor and the Elder if they gathered again.
In Changsha, Hunan Province, about 50 public security and religious affairs bureau personnel raided Grace Church’s gathering venue at a hotel. Simultaneously, substantial police forces raided four other Grace Church’s gathering venues. Police dispersed the gatherings and warned against future meetings.
On November 4, 2024, in Yinchuan, Ningxia Province, Ma Yan‘s wife Shu Hang and lawyer Mr. Yuan went to the Yinchuan Railway Transport Court to request case filing for Ma Yan. Ma Yan and other believers were arrested during a gathering on August 9 and have been held without questioning or formal charges. The court has ignored the wife’s application for case filing. According to law, November 26 marked the two-month investigation deadline after Ma Yan’s arrest. The investigating police informed Ma’s wife and lawyer that they would send the case to the procuratorate for review and prosecution. By law, the procuratorate will formally prosecute in court by the end of December.
From November 5-12, 2024, nearly ten members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu were summoned by their community management personnel for talks. Several were new church members experiencing such persecution for the first time. This followed their participation in the September 1 Sunday service, after which four church co-workers, including Elder Li Yingqiang, were detained. Religious affairs bureau officials pressured Brother Zheng, Brother Song, Sister Li, and other believers to sign pledges not to participate in “illegal religious activities.”
On November 6, 2024, around 9:30 AM, Pastor Fan Yanmin was taken from his father’s home in Xingping, Shaanxi Province (his 90-year-old father is undergoing cancer treatment). Around 11 AM, police took church computers and two Apple devices from Pastor Fan’s home. Around 5:30 PM, Shilipu Police Station in Xi’an notified Pastor Fan’s wife of his 15-day detention on suspicion of “endangering society by masquerading under the name of religion.“
On November 10, 2024, Puguang Church in Putian, Fujian Province had their Sunday worship disrupted. Three Pastors – Hong Qiuyong, Wu Geshui, Song Zhiguang – and three other co-workers were taken to the police station and released that evening.
On November 18, 2024, Shanghai Public Security Bureau arrested Sister Zhang Zhan for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Zhang Zhan was arrested in May 2020 for reporting on COVID-19 in Wuhan in February 2020. She was sentenced to four years and released in May 2024. Three months after her release, she was re-arrested for helping a Christian in Xi’an.
From November 19-22, 2024, four Christians from Living Stone Reformed Church in Bengbu, Anhui Province – Wan Changchun, Xue Shaoqiang, Cao Binting, and Wan Chunqin – were tried for “fraud.” Arrested on April 11, 2023, they’ve been detained for over 19 months, exceeding legal detention limits. Family members were barred from attending the trial.
11. Christian School Raided and Shut Down in China’s Henan Province
Documents provided to human rights activists at the end of September indicate that Chinese authorities raided and ordered the closure of a Christian school in Henan province. The action was taken against Yabo Academy, a Christian school operating in the Jinshui district of Zhengzhou city.
According to the documents, officials conducted a raid on the school and directed that its operations be shut down. The individuals running the academy were also fined 200,000 yuan, an amount exceeding 27,000 US dollars. The fine was imposed on the school’s operators as part of the administrative action.
An “Advance Notice of Administrative Penalty” issued by the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau of Jinshui district in Zhengzhou city states that the penalty was imposed under Article 70 of the 2017 Regulations on Religious Affairs. The article provides that when religious education and training are conducted without authorization, religious affairs departments, in coordination with other authorities, may order the cessation of activities and impose fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 yuan. The regulation also allows for the confiscation of any illegal gains, if applicable.
The documents confirm that the administrative measures against Yabo Academy were taken under the provisions of these regulations.
12. China Arrests Pastor and Church Members on Charges of ‘Illegal Business Operations’
On July 5, 2023, Chinese public security forces raided an education center operated by the Shengjia Church community in Foshan and arrested Pastor Deng Yanxiang along with three coworkers, according to the U.S.-based organisation ChinaAid. The four were arrested on May 24 and are being held at the Foshan City Nanhai District Detention Center.
ChinaAid reported that the raid took place as Christians were preparing for the school day. Police, national security agents, officials from the religious affairs bureau, and community management staff searched the facility, confiscated educational equipment, and detained the pastor and his colleagues.
Families of the detained individuals received 30-day criminal detention notices the following day. ChinaAid stated that the individuals were not released after the detention period ended and remain under arrest on suspicion of “illegal business operations.”
Those arrested include Zhu Longjiang, Wang Weicai, and Zhu Qiaoling. Family members have questioned the charges and called for their release. The Shengjia Church issued a statement asserting that the detained members are innocent and requested their immediate release.
13. China Launches Online Database Recording Registered Church Leaders
Chinese government launched an online database listing the names and personal details of registered church leaders, according to Open Doors UK. The system, introduced on May 23 by the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, is titled the “Query System for Islamic, Catholic and Christian Clergy.”
The State Bureau of Religious Affairs said the database is intended to promote openness in religious affairs and improve the identification and management of clergy. It includes information such as names, photographs, and church affiliations of clergy registered with state-sanctioned religious institutions, including the Three-Self Church.
Users accessing the database are required to submit a mobile phone number to receive a verification code and cannot search anonymously. The bureau stated that the system provides public access to information on clergy recognised and filed in accordance with the law.
Open Doors noted that pressure on unregistered churches has increased in recent years. In 2022, new measures required permits to share sermons or Bible studies online, with permits available only to state-approved institutions. On May 24, a pastor and three coworkers were arrested in Shunde City, Guangdong Province, on suspicion of “illegal business operations.” In March, Christians in parts of Henan Province were required to register through a “Smart Religion App” before attending church meetings.
The database also includes Islamic clergy and follows similar databases launched earlier for Buddhist and Taoist leaders.
14. Chinese Pastor and Co-worker Jailed for ‘Illegal Business Operations’
A court in China’s Shandong province has sentenced a pastor and a co-worker of the Beijing Lampstand Church to prison terms on charges of “illegal business operations,” according to a report by ChinaAid.
Pastor Qin Sifeng was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, while co-worker Su Minjun received a sentence of three and a half years. ChinaAid reported the sentencing on June 6, noting that although the trial took place in April, the verdict was made public only recently.
The two were arrested in July last year while travelling to Yunnan province. In August, police in Zibo city, Shandong province, formally charged them with illegal business operations and detained them at the Zibo Detention Center.
Local Christians said the arrests followed the printing of hymnals and theological materials by the church for internal use, after which local police launched an investigation. Witnesses told ChinaAid that during the trial, the defendants appeared in court handcuffed and manacled, and that the court rejected their lawyer’s plea of innocence. The verdict was approved by senior state officials prior to its announcement.
ChinaAid reported that Pastor Qin stated he remained positive despite his imprisonment and described it as an opportunity to spread the Gospel.
15. Christian Students in China Required to Align Studies With Communist Party Ideology
Christian students at the Shaanxi Bible School in the Xixian New Area are being required to adapt their education and activities to the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to a report by Bitter Winter.
Bitter Winter reported that the Shaanxi Bible School is implementing the policy known as “sinicisation,” which seeks to align Christianity with socialist principles. The initiative is overseen by the Special Committee to Advance the Sinicisation of Christianity, formed by state-controlled Christian organisations.
On May 31, 2023, the school hosted a study session titled “Singing the Main Theme and Praising the New Era.” According to Bitter Winter, the session focused on studying speeches and conclusions from the CCP’s 20th National Congress. Students watched related videos and sang patriotic songs, including “Sing a Folk Song for the Party,” and, as stated in an official release, expressed support for the country and the CCP.
The report said students were also asked to honour three revolutionary figures: composer Ma Ke, medical doctor Luo Jinwen, and Bishop Shen Zigao, whose lives were presented during the session. Bitter Winter noted that all three figures were raised in Christian families but later supported the CCP. Bishop Shen Zigao later joined the state-controlled Three-Self Church, and his son Shen Yifan also became a leader within the same organisation.
Bitter Winter reported that these figures were presented as role models to students and stated that the activities reflected the form of Christianity being taught under state supervision in China.
16. At Least Three Churches Raided in China and multiple Christian leaders were detained
International Christian Concern (ICC) reported that authorities carried out raids on multiple house churches across China in mid-August, detaining church leaders and members on various charges.
On August 17, homes linked to Xi’an Abundant Church in Shaanxi province were raided, and Pastor Lian Chang-Nian, his wife Guo Jiuju, his son Pastor Lian Xuliang, his daughter-in-law Zhang Jun, their nine-year-old son, Preacher Fu Juan, and church member Xing Aiping were taken to Shilipu police station. The following day, the adults were handcuffed and brought to the church, where authorities announced charges of illegal gathering, illegal venue use, and illegal fundraising. A church member said Pastor Lian Xuliang sustained injuries to his head and arms. That evening, the women were released, while Pastor Lian Chang-Nian, Pastor Lian Xuliang, and Preacher Fu remained missing and were later placed under residential surveillance in Shaanxi on suspicion of fraud.
On August 19, about 70 members of Linfen Holy Covenant Church in Shanxi province were attending an outdoor family camp when approximately 170 police officers raided the site. Church coworkers Li Jie and Han Xiaodong were suppressed, all attendees were searched, and mobile phones were confiscated. Police also searched the homes of Li and Han, removing documents and books. Li Jie, his wife Li Shanshan, Han Xiaodong, and church member Hou Guobao were taken away.
On the same day, families of ethnic Nu Christians Wang Shunping and Nu Sangdeng received criminal detention notices from the Fugong County Public Security Bureau in Nujiang Prefecture, accusing the men of organizing and sponsoring illegal gatherings. Brother San Luopo and two Christian women from outside the area were also reportedly detained, though no official documents were issued.
On August 21, police raided the House of Light Church in Changchun, Jilin province, during Sunday worship, dispersing congregants and detaining Pastor Zhang Yong, also known as Guo Muyun, elder Qu Hongliang, and church member Zhang Liangliang. During the raid, two female members suffered heart attacks and were taken away by ambulance. The detained individuals were released around 1 a.m. on August 22 and instructed to report back to police later.
ICC stated that these incidents followed earlier arrests of members from Chengdu’s Early Rain Covenant Church and Beijing’s Zion Church during Sunday services.
17. China Jails Underground Pastor Wang Yi for Inciting Subversion
A Chinese court has sentenced Pastor Wang Yi to nine years in prison on charges of inciting subversion of state power and illegally operating a business, according to a statement posted on the Chengdu court’s website.
Wang Yi was detained in December 2018 along with dozens of church members and leaders from the Early Rain Covenant Church. While most of those detained were later released, Wang was formally prosecuted and convicted.
The court also ruled that Wang would be deprived of his political rights for three years and that 50,000 yuan of his personal property would be confiscated. The sentencing was issued by a court in Chengdu, in China’s western Sichuan province.
The Early Rain Covenant Church is an unregistered Protestant house church. Chinese law requires places of worship to register with and operate under government oversight, a requirement some churches refuse to accept.
The sentencing comes amid broader government actions against underground religious groups. China previously sentenced dissident Liu Xiaobo to 11 years in prison in 2009 on similar charges of inciting subversion of state power. Liu died in custody in 2017.
18. Bible Removed From Online Sale on Major Chinese E-Commerce Platforms
China’s major online retail platforms have removed the Bible from sale, in what appears to be a move to restrict its online distribution.
Searches for the Bible in Chinese on JD.com returned no results. On Taobao, Amazon.cn, and Dangdang, searches led instead to other Christian-related publications, including storybooks and Bible study materials.
Taobao, which is owned by Alibaba, and JD.com did not respond to requests for comment.
A source at a Chinese publishing house told Inkstone, a China-focused news outlet, that the removals likely began around March 30 and that some Taobao shops selling Christian books had been permanently closed.
The removal of the Bible from online platforms comes as Beijing and the Vatican continue discussions over the appointment of bishops, a process that could lead to the normalization of ties severed in 1951.
19. Chinese Authorities Demolish Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi
Authorities in northern China demolished a prominent Christian megachurch this week, according to witnesses and overseas advocacy groups.
Witnesses and activists said units of the People’s Armed Police used excavators and dynamite to destroy the Golden Lampstand Church in the city of Linfen, Shanxi province, on Tuesday. ChinaAid, a U.S.-based Christian advocacy organisation, reported that explosives were planted in an underground worship hall before the demolition.
The Golden Lampstand Church, which reportedly had a congregation of more than 50,000 people, has previously faced government action. In 2009, police and other personnel damaged the church building, seized Bibles, and detained church leaders, some of whom later received lengthy prison sentences.
Advocacy groups released photographs showing the destroyed structure following the demolition. Authorities had previously accused the church of violating land use agreements and building regulations, allegations commonly levelled against unregistered churches in China.
20. Hundreds of Churches Demolished or Altered in Zhejiang Under Provincial Campaign
In 2013, the Zhejiang provincial government launched the “Three Rectifications and One Demolition” campaign, officially aimed at removing structures that violated land management and urban and rural planning regulations, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
During 2014 and 2015, hundreds of churches and church-run buildings across Zhejiang province were wholly or partially demolished or threatened with demolition in connection with the campaign. In most cases, church crosses were forcibly removed, and where entire buildings were demolished, the crosses were usually taken down first. Many local Christians believe churches were deliberately targeted.
CSW reported that it collated more than 700 reports involving Catholic and Protestant churches, both registered and unregistered. These included full or partial demolitions, demolition notices, forced removal or alteration of crosses, and related injuries, detentions, arrests, or summonses linked to the demolitions.
More than 500 incidents with specific dates and locations were documented in a public timeline, alongside official government notices and responses by Christians such as petitions and protests. CSW stated that while it used multiple sources, it was unable to independently verify all reported incidents.
Zhejiang province, which includes the city of Wenzhou, known for its large Christian population, had previously been regarded as home to some of China’s most influential churches. Authorities have maintained that the campaign targeted illegal structures and was unrelated to religion. CSW noted that some sources claim more than 1,200 churches were affected by the campaign, though exact figures could not be fully verified.
The ongoing persecution of Protestant house churches in China shows a growing crisis in religious freedom, affecting tens of thousands of believers across the country. From the arrests of Early Rain Covenant Church members in Chengdu to the demolition of prominent churches like the Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi, the evidence points to a systematic campaign to suppress independent Christianity. Despite these pressures, underground churches continue to operate, demonstrating resilience in the face of state intimidation.
Human rights advocates worldwide have called for immediate action, urging governments and international organisations to pressure Beijing to uphold constitutional and international protections for religious practice. As China enforces stricter laws under the Patriotic Education and Sinicisation policies, the survival of independent churches depends not only on local courage but also on sustained global attention and advocacy. The unfolding events serve as a stark reminder that faith and freedom remain under threat, making international scrutiny and solidarity more crucial than ever.
