(Linfen, Shanxi – May 4, 2025) The high profile fraud case involving three members of the Linfen Covenant House Church, Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang, is scheduled to be heard soon in a local court on May 8, 2025. Currently, Li Jie and Han Xiaodong remain in detention at a detention center, while Wang Qiang has been approved to be placed under residential surveillance at his home.
On May 2, the Covenant House Church issued an announcement calling on the public to pray for the three brothers in Christ facing imminent trial, asking God to grant them hearts of courage and wisdom.
Background of the Linfen Covenant House Church and Pastor Li Jie
It is reported that Linfen Covenant House Church is an independent church that has refused to join China’s official Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and has faced persecution from local authorities for a long time. Its young pastor, Li Jie, participated in the 2018 “A Joint Statement by Pastors: A Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith” initiated by Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu’s Early Rain Covenant Church, after which he was repeatedly summoned by police for questioning.
Intensification of persecution
Crackdowns on Linfen Covenant House Church have continuously been intensified in recent years.
- On August 19, 2022, during an outdoor “parent-child camp” event, the church was raided on a large scale by the police; over 100 officers sealed off the area and took away several individuals.
- Four days later (August 23), family members of preacher Han Xiaodong and Li Jie’s wife, Li Shanshan, received an official “Notice of Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location” issued from the direct branch of the Linfen Municipal Public Security Bureau. All of them were charged on suspicion of “fraud.”
- On September 30 of the same year, Li Jie and Han Xiaodong were formally arrested, and their case entered the judicial process. During this period, church members Wu Tingting and Li Shanshan were detained and later released.
- On November 16, 2022, the Linfen Covenant House Church was officially banned by the Yaodu District Civil Affairs Bureau, as announced on the government’s official website.
Regarding the fraud charges, Li Jie’s mother once publicly stated that her son is an upright person who frequently helped financially struggling brothers and sisters of the church, and she questioned the legitimacy of the charges, suggesting they are a means of suppressing the church.
Legal Procedures of the Linfen Covenant House Church Case
In terms of legal procedures, according to information from February 2023, the case was returned by the Yaodu District Procuratorate to the police for supplementary investigation due to insufficient evidence, reinforcing public skepticism about the validity of the accusations.
Church members also revealed that authorities exerted intense pressure on them, urging them to identify as “victims” and accuse the church preachers of financial fraud while promising that they would no longer participate in church activities, which clearly exposed the government’s real intention, which is to dismantle the church from within.
- On September 30, 2024, after being detained for nearly two years (1 year and 11 months), Wang Qiang was released from the detention center, but remained under residential surveillance.
- A month later, his residence faced forced relocation, reportedly due to pressure from authorities on his landlord to have them vacate before Christmas. At that time, Wang Qiang’s wife, Wen Huijuan, was pregnant and in a critical stage of pregnancy associated with a high risk of miscarriage.
- On November 30, 2024, the wives of Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang, along with several house church pastors and lawyers from China, issued a joint statement strongly opposing the persecution of Covenant House Church under the charge of “fraud.” Following the release of the statement, multiple incidents of harassment were reported involving the families of church members and in the city of Linfen.
- Beginning December 1, 2024, the Linfen Municipal Education Bureau and other government departments launched a sweeping campaign to identify Christian students across the city, from primary schools to universities. Parents of students were summoned for interviews and required to sign a pledge not to attend “illegal” gatherings and to transfer to attend services at the government-registered Qing Shi Street Three-Self Church. Those who refused to sign were urged by school administrators to leave the house church.
- In March 2025, Li Jie’s wife, Li Shanshan, and Han Xiaodong’s wife, Chen Ying, were both subjected to forced eviction. Li Shanshan was even closely monitored and stalked.
False Charges of “Fraud” against Chinese House Churches from the Government to justify persecution
Analysts have pointed out that the local government is attempting to suppress what they deem as “illegal” religious activities through legal channels. By accusing church leaders of financial crimes, they aim to dismantle the church and intimidate church members. Once these leaders are convicted, the normal functioning of the church would be severely disrupted. The charge of “fraud” often carries a negative connotation in society and is more easily accepted by some segments of the public, making it a strategic narrative for the government to justify its actions to crack down on churches. The upcoming trial of the three members of Covenant House Church will undoubtedly draw renewed attention to the state of religious freedom in China and the methods of government control.
ChinaAid’s Statement against false Fraud charges against churches
China Aid Association believes that the case against the three members of Linfen’s Covenant House Church, charged with “fraud,” from when it first happened to the developments till today, is no longer a simple criminal matter. It reflects the increasing restriction for religious freedom in certain regions of China and the trend of increasing sophistication of government control mechanisms. Looking back at the case, from the church’s long-standing persecution due to its refusal to join the official Three-Self Patriotic Movement to the police raid on the outdoor parent-child camp, the eventual banning of the church, and now the criminal prosecution of its core members, each step clearly points to a targeted effort to suppress and dismantle unregistered religious groups.
The fraud charges in this case lack the support of direct and compelling evidence. The “fraud” label appears to be a political tool rather than one based on concrete facts. The authorities’ actions are aimed at gaining an advantage on public opinion, portraying independent house churches as “illegal” or even “criminal” organizations, thereby laying a legal foundation for continued acts of suppression.
China Aid Association holds that the vitality of the law lies in its justice. When the law is instrumentalized to become a tool to suppress dissent, its credibility suffers serious damage. The international community should closely monitor the proceedings of this case, urge the Chinese government to safeguard citizens’ religious freedom, cease using criminal charges to interfere with normal religious activities and ensure judicial justice and transparency to prevent wrongful convictions from happening. The final verdict of the three individuals in the Covenant House Church case will serve as a critical test of the state of religious freedom and the rule of law in China.
(Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai of ChinaAid)
