Linfen Covenant House Church Members Face Multiple Threats from Local Authorities Over Prayer Request Letter
(Linfen, Shanxi Province, China – March 10, 2025) The day after Linfen Covenant House Church, which faces government persecution for its Christian faith, issued a public prayer request letter before the pre-trial conference for three core ministers and co-workers charged with “fraud,” most church members received varying degrees of warnings and threats from police.
On February 15, 2025, Christians who had been investigated by public security during the 2022 church case were simultaneously approached by their respective company management, and United Front Work Department officials, who demanded they sign pledges promising not to participate in Linfen Covenant House Church. Subsequently, other church members also received calls from their community management offices or local police stations.
Background: Persecution of the Church’s Leaders
On August 19, 2022, three brothers – Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang – were detained on “fraud” charges due to their Christian faith. Linfen officials deemed the globally recognized Christian tradition of “offerings” as “fraud.” The case involved first arresting people, then fabricating charges, and using threats and coerced confessions against unprepared believers. One female Christian was driven to consider committing suicide by jumping from a building because she refused to cooperate in providing false testimony against church leaders.
The pre-trial conference for this case will be held on February 18 and 19, 2025. On February 14, Linfen Covenant House Church issued a public prayer request letter describing the case and the faith testimonies of the three co-workers. The prayer request letter contents are as follows:
Linfen Covenant House Church Pre-trial Conference Prayer Request Letter
(February 18-19, 2025)
- Li Jie, born in 1988, worked as a newspaper reporter after university graduation, later became a computer company manager, known for being upright and down-to-earth. Later called to become a full-time minister
- Wife: Li Shanshan
- Sons: Yinuo, Yile
- Han Xiaodong, born in 1989, former teacher at a middle school in Linfen, later resigned to become a full-time minister
- Wife: Chen Ying
- Children: Xixi, David, Little Ice Cube
- Wang Qiang, born in 1993, started a smart lock business after university graduation, operated with integrity and love, deeply trusted by customers
- Wife: Wen Huijuan
- Children: Mimi, Dengdeng
On August 19, 2022, brothers Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang were detained on “fraud” charges due to their Christian faith.
The universally known Christian tradition of offerings was treated as “fraud.” The three brothers never defrauded anyone. This case involved first arresting people, then fabricating charges, followed by continuous threats and coerced confessions from brothers and sisters. One sister who refused to provide false testimony was driven to consider suicide by the police.
Case Timeline
- August 19, 2022, 7 PM: Over 30 adults and 40 children from Linfen Covenant House Church were arrested by more than 170 police officers during a tourist visit to Shigao Mountain.
- August 23, 2022: Despite having local residences, Li Jie and his wife, and brother Han Xiaodong were illegally placed under “residential surveillance at a designated location” on suspicion of fraud, subjected to torture, and kept awake for 5 days and 4 nights. Lawyers who went to Yaodu District Public Security Bureau to legally inquire about the case were yelled at and told to get out, and received complaints from police.
- September 6, 2022: Li Jie’s wife Li Shanshan was released on bail, consistently refusing to plead guilty.
- September 30, 2022: Linfen Public Security Bureau executed arrests of brothers Li Jie and Han Xiaodong.
- November 1, 2022: Wang Qiang disappeared while his wife was eight months pregnant. Later learned he was illegally placed under “residential surveillance at a designated location”, forced to sit on a tiger bench for 7 days and nights without sleep. He refused to confess or falsely accuse brothers.
- May 26, 2023: Yaodu District prosecutors finally produced a 1,300-word indictment with vague content, charging the 3 brothers with “fraud” in court.
- May-July 2023: Lawyers repeatedly pointed out prosecutors’ erroneous charges, requesting withdrawal of the prosecution.
- July-August 2024: The three Christians’ wives repeatedly met with Yaodu District Court’s deputy president and presiding judge, and visited various authorities (including Provincial High Court, Provincial Supreme Procuratorate, Provincial People’s Congress) to report issues of extended detention and delayed trial.
- September 30, 2024: Brother Wang Qiang was released after 1 year and 11 months of detention and placed under “residential surveillance at a designated location” again. Landlords were repeatedly forced to evict them.
- February 18-19, 2025: Pre-trial conference to be held…
Please pray for:
- Fair trial and vindication of Li Jie, Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang’s innocence, restoration of their freedom.
- Lord’s mercy to allow Li Jie and Han Xiaodong to see their families after two years apart.
- Strengthening Linfen Covenant House Church members’ faith to face truth and speak boldly for justice.
- Health, wisdom, and unity for lawyers in defense.
- Li Jie, Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang’s preservation in faith, testimony for Christ and church.
- Good weather and smooth logistics.
We again appeal:
Persecuting believers in the name of law harms the innocent, shames rule of law, and threatens everyone!
Please follow us, follow Linfen
Pray for us, share for us
Let’s wait together for Li Jie and Xiaodong’s return home!
The Broader Context of Religious Persecution in China
Since the implementation of the “New Regulations on Religious Affairs” in 2018, thirteen known cases of house churches persecuted under “fraud” charges across China include:
- Zhuhai Wangjia Hunli Church case,
- Ezhou Egangqiao Church case,
- Linfen Golden Lampstand Church case,
- Guiyang Ren’ai Reformed Church case,
- Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church case,
- Linfen Covenant House Church case,
- Xi’an Church of Abundance case,
- two Hefei Youth Fellowship co-workers’ “fraud” case,
- Hefei Ganquan Church case,
- Bengbu Cornerstone Reformed Church case,
- Luoyang Luanchuan house church preacher Chen Lijun case,
- three Guangdong Christians’ online prayer meeting case, and
- three Suining female Christians’ “fraud” case.
Authorities’ logic is: since house church pastors lack religious personnel qualification certificates and churches are unregistered, house church offerings constitute fraud. If this logic is allowed to expand fully, all Chinese house church pastoral co-workers would suffer wrongful accusations.
Issuance of Joint Statement Opposing “Fraud” Charges Against Linfen Covenant House Church Leaders
Therefore, some Chinese house church pastors, lawyers, and affected families issued a Joint Statement on November 30, 2024, regarding the “fraud” charges against Linfen Covenant House Church’s Pastor Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Brother Wang Qiang, firmly opposing the persecution of Linfen Covenant House Church and other house churches under the guise of “fraud.”
The Joint Statement points out that church members’ voluntary offerings based on biblical principles are entirely reasonable and legal, and the Chinese government’s criminalization of Christians as “fraud” harms the universal church worldwide.
It urges the Chinese government to follow Article 36 of China’s Constitution guaranteeing citizens’ religious freedom, and international conventions including Article 18 of the “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (UDHR), Article 18 of the “The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights” (ICCPR), and the “Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981)”.
It calls for adherence to “separation of church and state,” immediate release of Linfen Covenant House Church Pastors Li Jie and Han Xiaodong, and nationwide withdrawal of all cases pursuing “fraud” charges against pastoral co-workers based on house church identity, including this case.
With the pre-trial conference approaching, there is significant attention on this case from both inside and outside the church.
(Reported by Special Correspondent Ningmeng for ChinaAid)
