(Hefei, Anhui — February 13, 2026) After more than two years of prolonged legal wrangling and repeated procedural delays, two clergy members of Ganquan Church (甘泉教会) in Hefei, Anhui Province, were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment on Friday. Legal observers view this ruling as yet another typical case of Chinese authorities using criminal charges, especially the crime of “fraud,” to suppress house churches not officially approved by the government. 

According to a statement released by family members on Friday, the Hefei court handed down harsh sentences to Pastor Zhou Songlin (周松林) and Elder Ding Zhongfu (丁中福). Zhou Songlin was sentenced to four years and six months in prison and fined RMB 30,000; Ding Zhongfu was sentenced to four years in prison and fined RMB 28,000. In addition, the court ordered the recovery of more than RMB 360,000 in so-called “illegal gains” and sealed and seized relevant real estate and bank accounts.

The core of the case lies in an extreme expansion of the definition of “fraud.” Since their detention in November 2023, the prosecution’s logic has pointed to a trend that has deeply alarmed international religious and human rights organizations: categorizing believers’ voluntary offerings and tithings as “fraud” committed by clergy against congregants.

Long-term observations by ChinaAid Association highlight that this method of conviction essentially criminalizes the common practice of Christian faith within churches. 

Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, issued the following statement regarding the sentencing of Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu of Hefei Ganquan Church:

“The sentencing of Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu marks another dangerous escalation in the Chinese Communist Party’s systematic suppression of the Christian faith. By labeling believers’ voluntary tithes and offerings as ‘fraud,’ the authorities are not enforcing the law but weaponizing and instrumentalizing it. This case clearly shows that in today’s China, even the most fundamental religious practices can be distorted into criminal offenses.

In any normal society, the voluntary offerings of believers, based on conscience and faith, used for church operations and the fundamental livelihood of clergy, constitute a core component of religious freedom. However, the CCP authorities now stigmatize this as criminal behavior. Their real goal is to cut off the financial sources of house churches, confiscate church properties, imprison spiritual leaders, intimidate believers, and marginalize or even eliminate independent faith communities.

Pastor Zhou and Elder Ding are not criminals; they are prisoners of conscience who have suffered injustice for their faith. We call on the international community, democratic governments, and all who cherish religious freedom and the rule of law to speak out publicly and clearly, and to exert sustained and effective pressure on the Chinese government. ChinaAid Association will continue to stand with Ganquan Church and the families of the two pastors, persistently advocating for their freedom and justice until righteousness prevails.”

The lengthy course of the Ganquan case reflects a common feature in the adjudication of religious cases in China, deliberate “procedural torment.” From the case’s initiation in 2023 to the verdict in 2026, authorities have repeatedly delayed the proceedings. Such practices are often intended to wear down families and reduce public attention.

For Wei Shudie (魏淑蝶) and Ge Yunxia (葛云霞), the family members of Zhou Songlin and Ding Zhongfu, these two years have meant endless waiting and uncertainty about the future. Despite the heavy sentencing, the families’ statement still demonstrated the resilience of faith, quoting the Book of Psalms: “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” 

“If believers voluntarily donate based on their faith, and the funds are used for church operations and the fundamental livelihood of clergy, this is regarded in any normal society as part of religious freedom,” commented an anonymous human rights lawyer. “But in today’s China, it has become a convenient weapon for the government to confiscate church assets and dismantle church communities.”

The Hefei Ganquan case is not an isolated incident. In recent years, from Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, to a house church in Ezhou, non-official churches across China have faced systematic crackdowns at both administrative and judicial levels.

Weaponization of the law: In the past, authorities often prosecuted Christian clergy or believers under charges such as “illegal business operations” and other offenses. Now, the charge of “fraud,” which allows for the direct deprivation of personal property and the smearing of pastors’ reputations, is becoming the new tool of choice.

Financial severance: By confiscating real estate and freezing funds, authorities are attempting to completely dismantle the survival space of non-official Christian communities on both physical and financial levels.

With Zhou Songlin and Ding Zhongfu being sentenced through 2028 and 2027 respectively, members of Ganquan Church will face a difficult situation marked by the loss of core leaders and the depletion of financial resources. The cold on the streets of Hefei may fade with the seasons, but for these convicted clergy and their families, the long winter of the rule of law and religious freedom remains far from over.

Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid