(Deyang, Sichuan Province – April 18, 2024) On April 9, 2024, the Jingyang District People’s Court in Deyang City, Sichuan Province, tried the case of Elder Hao Ming and Elder Wu Jiannan of Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church, who were accused of “fraud.” Elder Hao Ming was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, and fined ￥30,000 yuan (~$4,148 U.S. dollars). Elder Wu Jiannan was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for five years, fined ￥30,000 yuan, and required to return ￥100,130 yuan (~$13,845 U.S. dollars) of offerings given to his family by the church.
The money that Elder Wu Jiannan was required to return was a living allowance given by the church to his wife, Cui Yanqin, over the years. The premise of the allowance was that she could not get another work and had to fully assist Elder Wu’s ministry. For this reason, Cui Yanqin gave up her job as a teacher in a public school and became a full-time wife. This expense was agreed upon by all the co-workers of the church, made public to the congregation every month, and fully complied with the Bible, rather than being fraudulently obtained as alleged by the police.
Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan are Elders of Qingcaodi Reformed Church in Deyang. Due to the Chinese government’s persecution of Christianity, they were taken away by Deyang police on November 17, 2021, and many other church co-workers were also taken away that day. Two days later, Deyang police criminally detained Elder Hao Ming and Elder Wu Jiannan on suspicion of “fraud,” and then arrested and prosecuted them on charges of “fraud,” alleging that the amount of fraud was as high as ￥560,000 yuan (~$77,433 U.S. dollars).
Regarding the charge of “fraud”, Elder Hao Ming, Elder Wu Jiannan, and their defense lawyers all firmly stated that tithing is a biblical teaching and church tradition and should not constitute fraud.
Elder Hao Ming and Elder Wu Jiannan were elected by the congregation of Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church. They have a very good reputation in the church. It is a Christian tradition to make offerings to the church, and everyone, whether ordinary believers, pastors, elders, or co-workers, is willing to make offerings. It is a biblical requirement that those who work receive salaries and that a small portion of the offerings be used to provide salaries for preachers. Elder Hao Ming only received a ￥100 yuan (~$14 U.S. dollars) book purchase allowance each month. Elder Wu Jiannan’s monthly salary was only ￥3,000 yuan (~$415 U.S. dollars). Through the efforts of the defense lawyers, on August 25, 2023, the Jingyang District People’s Procuratorate in Deyang City changed the indictment and determined that during the trial, it was found that the facts of the case did not match the facts alleged in the indictment. The amount of “fraud” allegedly committed by Hao Ming and Wu Jiannan was changed from ￥560,000 yuan to ￥101,300 yuan.
After Elder Hao Ming retired from Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church in early 2021, he and his wife, mother, and sister were devoted to serve Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church, and his entire family were members of Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church. Elder Wu Jiannan continued to serve in Deyang Qingcaodi Reformed Church.
On March 15, 2023, after the unremitting efforts of the defense lawyers and after being detained for two years and four months, Elder Hao Ming and Elder Wu Jiannan were released on bail pending trial. The conditions for their release on bail were that the defense lawyers withdraw from the defense and the court make certain promises regarding the final verdict.
The defense lawyers stated that this case is essentially an innocent case, and the two elders have never pleaded guilty or accepted punishment. However, under the current judicial environment, obtaining such a verdict is considered acceptable by the two elders and their defense lawyers.
