(Deyang, Sichuan Province – May 1, 2024) On April 15, 2024, Elder Hao Ming of Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church, who had been released on bail for only a month, posted a “declaration of disappearance” on Weibo, disagreeing with the unjust verdict of the Jingyang District Court of Deyang City against him and Elder Wu Jiannan, and insisting that faith is not a crime.
The content of the declaration of disappearance is as follows:
I was arrested by national security agents from Jingyang District on November 17, 2021 under the charge of fraud. After being detained for two years and four months, I was released on bail. On April 9, 2024, I was sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence. I do not believe that the evidence supporting the charges is valid, and therefore I have never pleaded guilty or accepted punishment (that is, first, I insist that the church’s gatherings are allowed by the State Council; second, the church’s payment to the wife of full-time elder are a collective decision, not a violation of promises made to church members). After considering various factors, I do not intend to appeal, but completely rely on God’s righteousness.
The wife of the full-time elder mentioned in Elder Hao Ming’s declaration refers to the wife of Elder Wu Jiannan. The court used the church’s payment to Elder Wu Jiannan’s wife as grounds for convicting them of fraud. In fact, Qingcaodi Reformed Church did not directly provide payment to Elder Wu Jiannan’s wife, but included a “family offerings” option in the offerings given to full-time elders. According to church regulations, if the wife of a full-time pastor does not have a job and serves full-time, then the church’s offerings need to include a “family offerings” option. The prerequisite for Cui Yanqin to receive several years of living allowances as an elder’s wife was that she could not find a job and had to fully assist Elder Wu in his ministry. Cui Yanqin gave up her teaching position at a public school for this and became a full-time wife. This expense was agreed upon by all the church co-workers and made public to the congregation every month, completely in accordance with the Bible, and not fraudulently obtained as alleged by the police.
On November 17, 2021, Elder Wu Jiannan and retired Elders Hao Ming were arrested by Deyang police. Two days later, they were criminally detained on suspicion of “fraud”. On December 25 of the same year, Christmas Day, they were formally arrested on the same charge. In early December 2022, the case was prosecuted to the Jingyang District People’s Court, and the two elders were accused of fraud amounting to as much as ￥560,000 yuan (~$78,867 U.S. dollars). Through the efforts of the defense lawyers, on August 25, 2023, the Jingyang District People’s Procuratorate changed the indictment decision, determining that during the court trial, it was found that the facts of the case were inconsistent with the facts alleged in the indictment, and the amount of suspected “fraud” was changed from ￥560,000 yuan to ￥101,300 yuan (~$14,266 U.S. dollars).
On March 15, 2023, after the unremitting efforts of the defense lawyers, Elders Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan were released on bail pending trial after two years and four months of detention. The conditions for the two elders’ release on bail were that the defense lawyers withdraw from the defense and the court make certain promises regarding the final verdict.
On April 9, 2024, the Jingyang District People’s Court tried the case of Elders Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan and announced the verdict in court: Elder Hao Ming was sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence and fined ￥30,000 yuan (~$4,225 U.S. dollars).; Elder Wu Jiannan was sentenced to three years in prison with a five-year suspended sentence and fined ￥30,000 yuan, and was required to return the family offerings of ￥101,130 yuan given to him by the church.
In his declaration of disappearance, Elder Hao Ming firmly rejected the evidence provided by the Jingyang District People’s Court for this verdict, and he has never pleaded guilty or accepted punishment for the charges against him. However, he stated that he does not plan to appeal and is willing to completely rely on God’s righteousness.