(Shanxi – March 18, 2026) On March 15, 2026, Pastor Du Liangming (杜亮明), a house church leader in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, completed his five-year prison term. Sources confirmed that his sentence was finished on March 14.
Born in 1948, Du Liangming was a senior clergyman who had long led house church activities in the Xinzhou region, where Christianity has deep roots. Owing to his strong spiritual devotion and humble service, he enjoyed a high reputation among local Christians. However, as religious policies tightened, Pastor Du was regarded as a “sensitive figure” by authorities for persisting in preaching and leading groups abroad to attend international Christian conferences.
On March 15, 2021, Du Liangming was suddenly placed under criminal detention by police.
The Xinzhou City Procuratorate prosecuted him on charges of “organizing illegal border crossings.”
In June 2024, a district court in Xinzhou City officially handed down a sentence of five years’ imprisonment, retroactive to the date of his detention.
It is reported that during his imprisonment at Yangquan No. 1 Prison in Shanxi Province, Du Liangming suffered a stroke due to his advanced age and harsh living conditions. Despite enduring both physical and psychological hardship, he completed the full five-year sentence. Supporters expressed deep concern and called on all sectors of society to pay attention to his medical care after his release.
