(SHAANXI, CHINA — Nov. 11, 2026) Two leaders of an independent Protestant house church in northwestern China are scheduled to stand trial this month on fraud charges involving church offerings, raising renewed concerns about religious freedom and the prosecution of house church pastors.
The Beilin District People’s Court in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, has scheduled Pastor Gao Quanfu of Light of Zion Church for trial Nov. 12 and his wife, Pang Yu, for Nov. 17, according to the defense team.
Prosecutors have recommended a prison sentence of 12 to 13 years for Gao. His lawyers have requested a postponement of Thursday’s hearing to allow more time to gather evidence for his defense.
Pang, who is nearly 70, suffers from underlying health conditions that have worsened during her detention. Her defense team is seeking her release on bail for medical treatment.
Fellow church leader Pastor Tang Bingyi was originally scheduled to stand trial Nov. 23, but his hearing has been postponed without a new date. Although the three face charges stemming from the same investigation, authorities are prosecuting them separately.
Church offerings at center of fraud allegations
The case began May 16, 2025, when police detained Gao at his home on suspicion of “using superstition to undermine the implementation of the law.” The following day, authorities detained ten other pastors and church co-workers, including Tang, as previously reported by ChinaAid.
Pang was subsequently placed under residential surveillance. In September 2025, authorities formally arrested her on fraud allegations and changed the charges against Gao and Tang to fraud. The case was transferred to the Beilin District People’s Court in January 2026.
Light of Zion Church has operated in Xi’an for nearly 40 years. Like other unregistered Protestant house churches in China, it operates outside the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement and relies primarily on voluntary offerings from congregants.
Prosecutors allege that church leaders obtained offerings through deception, but Gao’s family disputes the accusations. Religious freedom advocates say similar fraud charges increasingly target pastors of unregistered churches, effectively criminalizing ordinary Christian giving.
Defense lawyers have also alleged procedural violations, including improper efforts to classify congregants as fraud victims. According to the church, authorities induced more than 200 members to provide statements accusing church leaders of wrongdoing.
As the trials approach, the church is urging congregants who believe their statements were misleading or inaccurate to work with defense lawyers to clarify or withdraw them, seeking to ensure that the proceedings accurately reflect the facts.
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.