(Fuyang, Anhui Province, China – March 15, 2025) The Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, which has been continuously persecuted by the government for maintaining its house church position, has recently faced serious stigmatization accusations.

First time a Reformed Christian Church is charged as a cult in China

Recently, two Christians from the church were administratively detained for 15 days by the Economic and Technological Development Zone Branch of the Fuyang Public Security Bureau, and were charged with the crime of “utilizing evil cult activities to harm society.” This is the first time since the implementation of the Religious Affairs Regulations in 2018 that a Reformed Christian church has been officially labeled as an evil cult during the administrative punishment process by the public security organ.

Subsequently, the two Christians hired lawyers to file for administrative reconsideration, but the Fuyang City Government neither accepted the case after receiving the materials nor issued a notice of refusal, directly disregarding the law. The lawyers also stated that this situation is unprecedented and have filed a complaint with the Anhui Provincial People’s Government. 

Background of the Fuyang Maizhong Reformed Church

Fuyang Maizhong Reformed Church is a house church that adheres to orthodox faith, dedicated to spreading the gospel and nurturing believers. In recent years, local government departments, especially the Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, have continuously persecuted and stigmatized the Maizhong Reformed Church.

Recently, as many as 19 believers have been detained by the Public Security Bureau. The church leaders maintain their house church position and openly refuse to join the Three-Self Church. They publicly participated in signing the “Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith”, a joint statement initiated by Pastor Wang Yi in 2018, and have since faced continuous persecution until being banned by the government.

Record of persecution faced by the Maizhong Reformed Church

The following is a record of the persecution this church has suffered in recent years: 

On October 9, 2021, Preacher Chang Shun was forcibly taken away and detained for ten days by local police while praying and studying with others at a Christian’s home. Given that he had not been vaccinated at the time, the detention was postponed until September 18, 2023. During this period, Chang Shun applied for administrative reconsideration multiple times, all of which were rejected, and inquiries about the reasons for rejection were ignored. 

On the evening of October 21, 2023, six or seven Christians from the church were studying the Bible in an office building when they were raided by multiple departments including the local police station, community management officials, and the Religious Affairs Bureau. The Christians’ books and computers were taken away without any confiscation inventory being issued. That night, several male believers were detained at the local community management office until after 2 a.m. 

On November 4, 2023, the church’s Preacher and co-workers Han Xuri, Chang Shun, and Han Meng were again punished by the Economic and Technological Development Zone Branch of the Fuyang Public Security Bureau for gathering together. Han Xuri and Han Meng were administratively detained for 10 days and fined 500 yuan each, while Chang Shun was administratively detained for 10 days and fined 500 yuan. 

At 10 a.m. on January 18, 2024, Christians Dai Chuanli, Wang Dandan, and Ma Jiahui were taken away by police from the Economic and Technological Development Zone Branch of the Fuyang Public Security Bureau while leading children from church families in singing hymns and praying. On the 19th at noon, their homes were searched and they were each given 15 days of administrative detention. Other believers from the church are also frequently harassed by community management office personnel who pry open their doors forcibly, threaten landlords to force them to move, and engage in other forms of harassment. 

On March 10, 2024, the church was raided by local police while having a meal at a restaurant. Without any legal procedures, plainclothes police took 18 people, including two children, to the police station and subjected them to interrogations. Later, 8 people were administratively detained for 13 days, and Preacher Chang Shun was administratively detained for 15 days on charges of “organizing activities in the name of an illegal social organization,” violating the first item of Article 97 of the “Public Security Administration Punishments Law.” This was Preacher Chang Shun’s third detention since September 2023.