Christians Sentenced for Alleged Illegal Business Activities

During April 2021, Chinese authorities arrested ten Christians in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, for allegedly running an illegal business operation. In their efforts to get Bibles into the hands of as many people as possible, the believers had legally purchased copies of God's Word at a retail price and resold them for a fee well below the original cost. (For more information on the charges against these church members, go to this report.)

Four years later, the trial against the accused Christians finally came to a conclusion, resulting in nine of them receiving prison sentences and hefty fines. The convictions were based upon the contention that these followers of Jesus belonged to an unregistered church, and therefore they were not legally allowed to sell any Bibles, even though they had been offering them for a nominal fee.

Wang Honglan received the longest sentence, which consists of four years and ten months, along with a fine of 1,000,000 yuan (approximately $190,000 CAD). She is scheduled to be released from custody on February 14th, 2026. Two others, Wang Jiale and Liu Minna, who are to be set free on October 14th of this year, were fined 200,000 yuan each. Another believer, Yang Zhijun, is expected to be discharged on July 19th and forced to pay a fine of 150,000 yuan. The remaining Christians, including Wang Honglan's husband Ji Heying, were found guilty but had been released earlier, after completing their sentences.

• Please intercede for each one of the church members presently remaining in custody, asking the Lord to give these believers the strength and grace they need to persevere.
• While awaiting vindication, may they continue to allow the Holy Spirit to work mightily in and through their lives, so they can serve as powerful witnesses of God's love, hope and truth among fellow prisoners – as well as the prison's wardens.
• Pray that those in China who are opposed to the "Good News" of the Gospel would come to personally know the reality of Jesus Christ and, as a result, turn to Him in repentance and saving faith.