(Xi’an, Shaanxi Province — August 21, 2026) A Chinese pastor faces a possible 12- to 13-year prison sentence after a court held a pretrial conference in a case that supporters say criminalizes voluntary Christian offerings and other routine religious activities.
The case involved three leaders of Light of Zion Church, a prominent independent house church in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province in north-central China. Pastor Gao Quanfu, 69, his wife, Pang Yu, and Pastor Tang Bingyi have been charged with “fraud.”
Gao was initially detained in May 2025. Authorities detained Pang, who is also nearing 70, and at least seven other church leaders the following month. By September 2025, Gao, Pang and Tang had been placed under formal criminal detention, as previously reported by ChinaAid News.
Family members said the prosecutor repeatedly threatened Gao’s defense attorney during the Aug. 10 pretrial conference. The defense objected, arguing that the prosecutor’s conduct violated legal provisions governing the proceedings.
According to supporters, prosecutors have classified voluntary offerings and tithes from church members, along with funds used to purchase spiritual books, as proceeds of fraud. As previously reported by ChinaAid News, the disputed funds totaled approximately 2 million RMB.
Supporters and rights advocates argue that the charges lack a factual and legal basis because the funds were voluntarily given for the church’s religious activities. They contend that the case reflects a broader effort to use criminal charges against independent religious groups.
Gao’s son, Gao Pu, protested his parents’ continued prosecution, saying they have lived simply and followed their Christian beliefs throughout their lives. In an X post on Aug. 10, he said, authorities’ “ treatment of my elderly parents is unconscionable and inhumane.”
Light of Zion Church is a prominent independent house church that has operated in Xi’an for nearly 40 years, engaging in evangelism and community service. Like other unregistered Protestant congregations in China, it operates outside the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement.
According to Anna Liu of Beijing Zion Church, Gao has also been active in cross-cultural missionary work and previously organized an international journey known as “Xi’an to Zion,” drawing attention within China’s Christian community.
In recent years, Chinese authorities have increased pressure on religious groups outside officially recognized structures. Independent house church leaders have faced charges including “fraud” and “illegal business operations,” with critics arguing that criminal law is being used to restrict religious activities.
The prosecution of Gao, Pang and Tang has renewed concerns among China’s independent Christian communities about whether voluntary offerings and routine church activities can be treated as criminal conduct. All three remain in custody awaiting further court proceedings.
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.