(Xiamen, Fujian Province) This week, the Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court of Fujian Province held a second secret trial on the administrative penalty for “organizing an unlawful assembly” imposed on Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife Wang Xiaofei of Xunsiding Church.
Most recent trial
The court issued the summons on January 30, 2023, with the cause of the summons being “Administrative Penalty and Administrative Reconsideration” and the subject “Investigation.” They required Yang and Wang to appear in court on February 14, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. The hearing was held in closed session in Courtroom 18.
On the day before, Pastor Yang Xibo posted on social media:
Brother Fengxuan, my wife, and I were subpoenaed by the Court for investigation. Our attorneys will go to court with us tomorrow. Usually, the second trial for this kind of case is done through a subpoena instead of a public trial. We pray for God to be with us tomorrow and give us the wisdom to respond to the court. Thank you for your prayers.
Pastor Yang’s wife Wang Xiaofei posted:
The court fined my husband and me 200,000 yuan (~$29,295) because of our Christian faith. The second trial will be held in Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court tomorrow. We believe God already has a result for us, and we will accept it with joy.
Xunsiding Church’s rich history
Xunsiding Church is Ximen’s largest house church with more than 100 years of house church tradition. Yang Xibo’s aunt, Yang Xinfei, and his father, Minister Yang Yuanzhang, are the spiritual seniors of Chinese house churches in the region. Authorities sentenced both to 15 years and 5 years respectively because they did not join the state-run Three-Self Church. They continued to serve their church after they were released from prison.
Recent persecution
Now, fourth-generation Pastor Yang Xibo leads Xunsiding Church, one of the most heavily persecuted house churches in Fujian province. On May 19, 2019, CCP municipal officials banned the congregation and fined members 25,000 yuan (~$3,662). Police besieged Xunsiding Church’s building for 30 days. Afterward, as officers continued to monitor the church, members constantly changed their meeting places. Whether they met in residential buildings, office buildings, hotels, or by the sea, public security officers found and repeatedly harassed them. Authorities banned the church’s branches one after another. They also demolished believers’ real estate and forced congregants to send their children to public schools. However, none of those mentioned above persecution could tear the church apart.
Fines against Yang and Wang
On July 29, 2021, Siming District Religious Affairs Bureau issued a fine of 200,000 yuan (~$29,295) against Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife in the name of “organizing illegal religious gatherings.” The couple filed an administrative review request against the Religious Affairs Bureau, urging them to cancel the administrative penalty. However, the Xiamen Siming District government upheld the fine in November. The couple continued to file appeals through the necessary courts. They received an initial verdict on November 24, 2022, upholding the fine.
Continued prayers
After the 2nd trial ended on February 14, 2023, the couple took a picture with their attorneys in front of the Court. Wang Xiaofei wrote: “Thank you for your prayers. The second trial just ended. Justice is up in heaven. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. (Acts 19:20)”.
~Yu Bing, China Aid Special Reporter
