(Fuyang, Anhui Province, eastern China — June 12, 2026) Chinese prosecutors have accused three leaders of Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang of criminal offenses based largely on routine religious activities, according to an indictment released following a two-day trial held June 9–10 in a local court.
The indictment, made public by Xu Chao, wife of Pastor Zhang Sen, has raised concerns among legal scholars and religious freedom advocates because the allegations center on activities commonly associated with church life, including home gatherings, weddings, and religious instruction for children.
According to the indictment, Pastor Zhang Sen, Elder Ma Tao, and Pastor Chang Shun are charged with “organizing illegal gatherings.” Prosecutors cite a range of activities as evidence, including organizing worship gatherings in private residences, conducting religious activities during weddings, arranging religiously influenced education for church members’ children in private homes, and welcoming believers released from administrative detention.
Observers familiar with Chinese religious law note that the indictment treats activities typically regarded as private conduct or fundamental expressions of religious belief as criminal acts. They argue the case reflects a broader pattern in which local authorities have expanded enforcement measures against independent house churches.
Maizhong Reformed Church is an independent Protestant congregation that declined to join China’s state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement. After authorities shut down the church in 2023, members reorganized into smaller groups that continued meeting in private homes.
Husbands jailed, wives and families pressured
The dispute escalated on June 29, 2025, when law enforcement officers forcibly entered a Sunday worship gathering after breaking the locks on the meeting location.
Witnesses reported that officers deleted surveillance footage and detained 19 church members. Elder Ma Tao and Pastor Chang Shun were immediately placed under criminal detention and have remained in the Fuyang Detention Center since then.
Pastor Zhang Sen was not present during the June 29 raid. Ten days later, on July 9, 2025, Fuyang police traveled to Xuzhou in neighboring Jiangsu Province, where they arrested him at a friend’s residence and placed him under criminal detention.
In the weeks leading up to the trial, the wives of the detained church leaders publicly appealed for prayer and support, arguing that their husbands were being prosecuted for peaceful religious activities protected under China’s constitution. The families said they hoped greater public attention would encourage authorities to conduct the proceedings fairly.
Throughout the leaders’ nearly year-long detention, relatives and church members reported ongoing surveillance and pressure from local authorities. Several families said officials repeatedly urged them to leave Fuyang and, in some cases, arranged for personal belongings to be transported to their hometowns.
Li Yunyan, wife of Pastor Chang Shun, described what she called “continuous harassment,” alleging that the locks on her residence were changed without authorization, her water service was disconnected, surveillance cameras were installed outside her home, and a tracking device was placed on her vehicle.
As of June 12, neither the court that heard the case nor local public security authorities had publicly announced a verdict or responded to the families’ allegations. Religious freedom advocates say the prosecution is one of the latest examples of China’s ongoing campaign against independent Christian congregations operating outside the state-approved church system.
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.