(ANHUI PROVINCE, CHINA — October 28, 2026) A Chinese house church elder imprisoned for organizing religious gatherings outside the government-approved church system was released Wednesday after serving a 16-month sentence. Two pastors convicted in the same case remain behind bars.
Ma Tao, an elder of Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang, a city in eastern China’s Anhui Province, returned home Oct. 28, according to the Rights Defense Network, a Chinese human rights monitoring organization.
On Aug. 10, the Yingzhou District People’s Court sentenced Ma to one year and four months in prison for “organizing illegal gatherings.” Pastor Chang Shun received an 18-month sentence, while senior Pastor Zhang Sen was sentenced to one year and seven months.
Both pastors remain in custody. Chang is scheduled for release Nov. 18, while Zhang is expected to be released Jan. 24, 2027.
The case began June 29, 2025, when police raided Maizhong Reformed Church and its affiliated Covenant Chapel during Sunday worship services. Officers detained 19 congregants, including four children, taking them to a police station.
Most were released the following day. However, Ma and Chang were placed under criminal detention on suspicion of organizing illegal gatherings. On July 9, police arrested Zhang in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, and returned him to Fuyang.
Church gatherings at center of prosecution
According to court records and the indictment issued by the Yingzhou District People’s Procuratorate, the three church leaders were accused of repeatedly organizing religious gatherings without government approval since 2021. Prosecutors claimed their activities had disrupted public order.
The allegations included allowing minors to participate in religious activities and receive religious instruction at home. As previously reported by ChinaAid News, prosecutors also cited private worship gatherings, conducting weddings, and welcoming Christians released from detention as evidence supporting the charges.
Maizhong Reformed Church is an independent Protestant congregation that has refused to join China’s government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The church has faced repeated police raids and government pressure since 2021, with authorities eventually ordering its closure.
Congregants continued meeting in smaller groups, often in private homes. Church leaders and their families reported surveillance, threats, and pressure to relocate, as previously documented by ChinaAid News.
The prosecution also drew international attention. Before the June 2026 trial, the wives of the three church leaders appealed to U.S. and European diplomats to observe the proceedings, arguing that their husbands were being prosecuted for peaceful expressions of Christian faith.
During the trial, Zhang acknowledged that the religious gatherings had occurred but rejected the prosecution’s assertion that they constituted criminal offenses.
“Although I acknowledge that these events actually occurred, my conscience does not allow me to admit that they were criminal,” Zhang stated in court.
He maintained that the gatherings were a fundamental practice of Christianity protected by China’s Constitution, which formally guarantees freedom of religious belief.
“Regardless of the court’s ruling, I will not hate anyone,” Zhang said. “I believe that ultimate justice rests in the hands of Almighty God.”
The case comes amid increased government restrictions on independent religious congregations since China’s revised Regulations on Religious Affairs took effect in 2018. House church pastors and elders have faced administrative detention and criminal prosecution for activities conducted outside the state-sanctioned religious system.
Although Ma has returned home, it remains unclear whether he faces restrictions following his release. Families associated with Maizhong Reformed Church have previously reported continued surveillance and harassment by local authorities.
Gao Zhensai is a special correspondent for ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.