Pastor Tried for Organizing Illegal Gatherings

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, ChinaAid, VOM Australia, Release International 06 March 2025

Ma Yan is sitting at the front of several rows of chairs. — Ma Yan
Photo: ChinaAid

On August 9th, 2024, a preacher named Ma Yan was arrested in the Chinese city of Yinchuan for "disrupting social order" and given a ten-day detention. Immediately following his release, Ma was arrested again for "organizing illegal gatherings." The accusations stem from a small gathering of Christians that took place in a hotel on August 9th.

After Ma continued to be held in custody without trial, the church leader's wife, Shu Hang, filed a lawsuit against the Jinfeng District Branch of the Yinchuan Public Security Bureau in response to the charges against her husband and his prolonged detention. The documents were taken to the court office on November 4th, where staff members accepted Shu's formal complaint and files of evidence. However, when her lawyer requested written proof of receipt, the court officials refused. Instead, Shu and her lawyer were told to return to their homes and wait for a response from the court office which they never received.

Finally, on February 10th, the young preacher went to trial. According to sources, Ma pleaded guilty because the charge of "organizing illegal gatherings" carries a lighter sentence and does not attract the same moral stigmatization as other charges commonly used against Christian leaders. The final verdict is unknown, but the prosecutor recommended a sentence of nine months in prison.

In the 2025 Persecution Trends report, VOMC's ministry partner, Release International, stated that the year ahead is likely to result in an increased number of arrests and imprisonments for Christians in China, as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials continue their attempts to infiltrate churches with the government's ideology. To access other reports about the persecution of Christians in China, visit our country profile.

Please pray that Ma will experience God's strength, courage and protection as he continues to serve time in prison because of his faith in Jesus.
May the Lord's abiding peace and comfort rest on this Christian leader's wife, as well as the believers who attended the church gathering he had previously overseen.
Ask our Heavenly Father to divinely intervene in the lives of the country's governing officials, leading CCP members to personally discover the reality and love of Jesus Christ.
Continue to prayerfully remember the many Christians throughout China who are endeavouring to faithfully share the Gospel message despite the opposition they may encounter.

Current Ministry Projects
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development
Country Information
Population
1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

Religion (%)
Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

Leader
President Xi Jinping (2013)

Government type
Communist party-led state

Legal system
Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

Sources: CIA World Factbook
Pray for China
Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.

China News

Suspended Sentences Revoked for Two Believers

Elder Xue Shaoqiang and Sister
Wan Chunqin with some friends.
Photo: ChinaAid

In 2023, Elder Xue Shaoqiang and Sister Wan Chunqin of the Bengbu Living Stone Reformed Church were arrested on accusations of "fraud" – a charge frequently used by Chinese authorities to target members of unapproved churches. The believers were sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by a four-year suspended sentence. After their release on January 8th, 2025, both Christians were subjected to strict conditions. However, upon allegedly failing to comply with what they described as "excessively harsh and unreasonable" measures, their suspended sentences were revoked.

Read more...
House Church Bible Study Gathering Raided

One of the church members being interrogated by police.
Photo: ChinaAid

Several Christians were gathered on the morning of August 22nd for a Bible study at the Beijing Holy Love Fellowship church when multiple police officers suddenly entered the facility. After demanding to see the believers' identification cards, the authorities recorded the personal details of all those who were present. At the time of publishing this report, no official statement or charges have been issued by the Beijing police.

Read more...
Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"

Pastor Huang Yizi
Photo: ChinaAid

Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was informed on July 30th that he had been formally charged with "illegal business practices" relating to the distribution of sermon recordings. The Christian leader and several other church members were initially taken into custody on June 26th. At the time, the reason for their arrests was unclear. (A previously published report about the arrests is available here.) However, following the recent announcement of formal charges, further information has now come to light.

Read more...
Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment

Pastor Chang Shun with one of his children.
Photo: ChinaAid

Since 2021, Pastor Chang Shun of the Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang City has encountered ongoing harassment from Chinese authorities. Unfortunately, all his appeals, in response to the multiple administrative detentions and fines he received over the years, have been unsuccessful. In 2023, Pastor Chang's church was officially banned by the government. Most recently, the harassed church leader was detained on June 29th during a raid by law enforcement officers. In this latest occurrence, he was taken into custody alongside Elder Ma Tao on suspicion of "organizing illegal gatherings." Several visiting friends and family members of Pastor Chang were also detained. Authorities forcibly relocated the visiting individuals, loading their belongings onto trucks and sending them back to their hometowns with strict orders not to return to Fuyang.

Read more...