Three leaders of an unregistered Christian house church in Xi’an, central China, have been arrested by authorities and are facing fraud charges, raising fresh concerns over religious freedom in the country.
Pastors Lian Xuliang, Lian Changnian, and church member Fu Juan were taken into custody last Sunday by the First Branch of the Xi’an Municipal Public Security Bureau, according to the religious freedom watchdog ChinaAid. Their detention was approved by the Baqiao District Court, and they are currently held at the Weiyang District Detention Center.
The three were previously arrested on similar fraud charges on 17 August 2022 and were held for nearly three years before being released on bail in April 2025. Pastor Lian Changnian, 71, had been receiving medical care for deteriorating health before being detained again earlier this month.
“This case was tried on 9 July 2025, and no verdict has yet been issued,” said the Church of Abundance, also known as Fengsheng Church, in a statement. “What is shocking is that while awaiting the verdict, the authorities took the three individuals away again and detained them.”
Founded around 30 years ago, the Church of Abundance was officially banned in August 2022 by the Xi’an Civil Affairs Bureau as an “illegal social organisation,” ChinaAid reports. It is among several unregistered Protestant churches that have faced increased scrutiny following President Xi Jinping’s December 2021 directive for tighter control over religious groups.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has said the 2022 arrests were part of a broader campaign against unregistered churches. Authorities accused the leaders not only of fraud but also of “endangering national security.” During six months of residential surveillance, Pastor Lian reportedly endured torture before being formally charged in March 2023.
House churches in China typically collect voluntary donations and tithes, which authorities have often cited to support fraud allegations. In the current case, prosecutors have relied on the testimony of Qin Wen, identified as a fraud victim. ChinaAid reports that Qin has publicly denied any harm and claims she was pressured into giving evidence. She has since hired legal counsel to support the accused leaders.
Reports from church members indicate that the pastors experienced physical abuse during arrest. Pastor Lian’s wife said he showed visible injuries, including bloodshot eyes and bruised, swollen arms and hands.
The closure of unregistered churches has been linked to a broader government strategy to pressure Protestant congregations to join the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement, according to Bitter Winter, an Italy-based religious freedom monitor.
Recent weeks have also seen other arrests of underground church leaders, including Pastor Jin Mingri of Beihai, Guangxi Province, and around 30 members of Zion Church across multiple cities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the crackdown, saying it “demonstrates how the Chinese Communist Party exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches.”
Adapted from The Christian Post.
