(Anhui — May 1, 2026) The case involving Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang, Anhui, has seen new developments. A pretrial conference is scheduled for May 7, 2026. At present, Pastor Zhang Sen (张森), Pastor Chang Shun (常顺), and Elder Ma Tao (马涛) have been detained for more than ten months.
On June 29, 2025, a Sunday worship service at the church was raided by police. Elder Ma Tao and Pastor Chang Shun were taken away at the scene and criminally detained the following day. Pastor Zhang Sen was arrested on July 9 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, and later transferred back to Fuyang. All three were criminally detained on suspicion of “organizing illegal gatherings” and are currently held at the Fuyang Detention Center. Since their arrest, they have been deprived of freedom for over ten months, and the case has drawn continued attention from Christians and the public.
On the eve of the pretrial conference, the wives of the three detained church leaders, Xu Chao (徐超), Li Yunyan (李云艳), and Li Mei (李梅) jointly issued a prayer letter expressing their appeals and hopes:
They ask for prayers for the judges and officials handling the case, that they may be granted a sense of justice, exercise their authority fairly in accordance with the law, and restore the innocence and freedom of the three church leaders as soon as possible.
They pray that the defense team will be given courage and wisdom to provide strong legal representation grounded in both law and grace, safeguarding citizens’ lawful right to religious belief.
They call for continued prayers for Zhang Sen, Chang Shun, and Ma Tao, who are in detention, asking that they be granted strength, love, and self-discipline, and that their physical health be protected amid difficult conditions.
In the letter, the families expressed heartfelt gratitude to supporters who have followed the case and offered prayers, encouraging one another with “Emmanuel,” affirming their belief that God is with them.
Maizhong Reformed Church is a Presbyterian (Reformed) church. According to its own account, it was banned by local authorities in 2023 for maintaining a house-church position and for refusing to join the state-sanctioned “Three-Self Church.” The church has since shifted to small-group gatherings. Over the past two years, it has faced repeated police raids. Pastor Chang Shun has been subjected to multiple administrative detentions and fines since 2021, including being detained three times within six months. Some officers reportedly stated publicly that the church would be a “key target” for a crackdown, warning that “gatherings of more than three people would be considered illegal.”
