Photo: Notice to ban Xi’an Church of Abundance (Screenshot of Xi’an Civil Affairs Bureau’s website)
(Xi’an, Shaanxi province – January 9, 2023) Guo Guanglin, Zhang Jun, and Liu Linfei sent a prayer request letter for their imprisoned family members: Pastor Lian Changnian, Pastor Lian Xuliang, and Preacher Fu Juan of Xi’an Church of Abundance. Authorities arrested these three individuals last August on suspicion of “fraud” and put them under Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location (RSDL). More than 140 days have passed without any update.
Police once gave their family a verbal notice regarding the sparse details of their case. Because each case involves national security, guards will not allow attorney visitation. Family members grow more and more anxious with each passing day.
China Gospel Fellowship and Pastor Lian
Pastor Lian Changnian was part of “China Gospel Fellowship”—one of the five largest house churches established in Henan province in 1988. With over 10 million believers, their influence spanned nationwide and developed a robust house church system. The Chinese government persecuted China Gospel Fellowship for many years, listing it as a banned cult organization. Pastor Lian served through mass arrests, interrogations, and imprisonment for over forty years. Later, he planted the Xi’an Church of Abundance.
The case against Xi’an Church of Abundance
Beginning on July 20, 2022, the congregants of the Church of Abundance received a verbal summons for interviews one after another from the police. Different officers searched some Christians’ homes and disrupted their ordinary lives. According to a subpoenaed believer, a police officer named Zhang Haibo used the congregant’s job security and children’s education as threats. He demanded the member hand over church finances, commit perjury, and accuse the pastor of fraud and spreading a cult. Officer Zhang even told them to fabricate false facts and exaggerate the number of offerings the church received.
Massive arrests
On August 17, 2022, Shilipu Police Station arrested Pastor Lian Changnian, Pastor Lian Xuliang, and Preacher Fu Juan under the charge of “fraud” and put them under RSDL. Officers even took a 9-year-old child to the station for interrogation. After that, several female believers were summoned to the police station multiple times where they were threatened, verbally abused, and beaten. The next afternoon, more police came again, led by Officer Zhang Haibo. They handcuffed six co-workers: Pastor Lian Changnian, Guo Jiuju, Pastor Lian Xuliang, Zhang Jun, Sister Xing Aiping, and Preacher Fu Juan.
Physical Abuse
After taking their pictures, the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Religious Affairs Bureau announced the charges against them: illegal gathering, illegal fundraising, and illegal venue. In the process of taking pictures, the wife of Pastor Lian Changnian, Guo Jiujiu, noticed that her son had a large bruise on his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot, and there was dried blood in the corner of his eyes. Someone bruised his arms and hands. There was undoubtedly physical abuse by these so-called “law enforcement” officers.
Banned
On August 19, the Xi’an Civil Affairs Bureau announced that Xi’an Church of Abundance was officially banned.
Residential surveillance at a designated location
RSDL is a measure of torture. The government implements these punishments to persecute religious groups without statedly reporting their activities as religious or political crimes. According to the provisions of the State’s Criminal Procedure Law, the compulsory measures of “residential surveillance” are divided into two types: one is residential surveillance at a designated residence, and the other is residential surveillance at the residence of the charged individual. In principle, residential surveillance should be carried out at the suspect’s residence (including rented houses), not at the designated residence. Only when the following three conditions are all met at the same time can the criminal suspects with a fixed residence be subject to residential surveillance at another designated residence:
- Suspected of endangering national security or terrorist activities;
- Execution at the residence may hinder the investigation;
- Approved by the public security organ at the next higher level.
That is to say, according to criminal proceedings, residential surveillance in a designated location is only possible when a criminal suspect is regarded by law enforcement as one who endangers national security or is suspected of terrorist activities. In criminal investigations, it is rare for law enforcement officers to prosecute pastors and other church leaders for such crimes.
~Yu Bing, Special Correspondent of ChinaAid
