(Xi’an – March 9, 2026) As the crackdown on unofficial churches intensifies, three clergy members from Light of Zion Church in Xi’an (锡安之光教会), Shaanxi Province, are facing a dual crisis of legal and health challenges after 10 months in detention.
According to information released by church members and families this past Saturday, 69-year-old Pastor Gao Quanfu (高全福) and his wife, along with 40-year-old Pastor Tang, have spent the harsh winter in the Beilin District Detention Center in Xi’ an. Although officials have charged them with suspicion of “fraud,” legal experts and human rights activists point out that the core of the case lies in how Chinese authorities are criminalizing the traditional Christian practice of “offerings and tithes.”
In a recent statement, church members strongly condemned the conditions in detention. Temperatures inside the center once dropped to 14°F (-10°C), with a total lack of basic heating and hot water.
Of greatest concern is 69-year-old Pastor’s wife Pang Yu (庞羽). Family members revealed that Ms. Pang suffers from severe heart disease but is unable to obtain proper medication in the prison environment. It is reported that during late-night shifts, she often becomes unable to care for herself due to acute heart pain; supporters are urgently calling on authorities to allow her release on medical bail for humanitarian reasons.
The legal defense team has raised questions regarding the judicial proceedings. The procuratorate split what was originally a single church activity case into three separate cases for prosecution. Lawyers argue that this practice contradicts basic legal logic and is intended to fragment the defense while potentially leading to harsher sentencing.
Currently, the Beilin District Procuratorate of Xi’an has formally indicted the three individuals. The core point of contention in the indictment is that authorities have characterized all voluntary “tithes” and funds used to purchase spiritual books, totaling approximately 2 million RMB, as proceeds of fraud.
“If voluntary offerings and tithes are considered a crime, then the 2,000-year tradition of the universal church will be stigmatized,” the statement read. This reflects a widespread fear among Chinese house churches: that routine religious operations are being “criminalized” through legal means.
Since the 2018 revision of the Regulations on Religious Affairs, unregistered house churches in China have faced their harshest existential challenges since the Cultural Revolution. From Zion Church (锡安教会) in Beijing to Early Rain Covenant Church (秋雨圣约教会) in Chengdu, several prominent pastors have been sentenced to heavy prison terms on similar charges.
The Xi’an Light of Zion Church’s case is seen as a continuation of this trend. Authorities are increasingly inclined to use economic crimes (such as fraud) rather than political charges to deal with religious leaders in order to lower the sensitivity of international public opinion.
Despite facing high walls and trial, members of Light of Zion Church still called for international attention in a Sunday statement: “We hope the court will uphold the freedom of belief granted by the Constitution and make a righteous ruling based on conscience.”
At present, the Beilin District Court of Xi’an has not yet announced a specific trial date.
