Three church leaders in China have been sentenced to prison terms of up to three years over charges widely condemned as unjust by international religious freedom groups.
Pastor Li Jie, Elder Han Xiaodong, and Elder Wang Qiang from Linfen Covenant Home Church in Shanxi province were sentenced on 20th June for alleged fraud linked to church offerings. Pastor Li and Elder Han received three years and eight months, while Elder Wang received one year and eleven months. Wang will not return to prison, having already served time in forced detention.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has strongly criticised the convictions, describing the charges as “unfounded” and calling for their immediate reversal.
The pastors were initially detained in 2022. Li and Han were arrested during a summer church retreat in August, while Wang was detained later that year, reportedly because he refused to provide false testimony against his fellow leaders.
The charges, issued in June 2023, accused the men of forming a criminal “clique” and collecting “illegal income.” The trial, which did not begin until May 2025, was marked by heavy security and tight restrictions. According to reports, church members were warned not to attend, family members were forcibly removed from the courthouse, and defence lawyers were barred from using essential legal devices.
In April, family members reported ongoing intimidation. Han’s wife said she and Li’s wife were facing harassment from authorities ahead of the trial.
In a public statement, Linfen Covenant Home Church defended the pastors and described the accusations as a violation of religious freedom. As an unregistered “house church,” the community says it upholds the biblical principle of separating church and state. It also stated that the collection of offerings is a normal part of Christian worship and should not be considered fraudulent.
Sentences were also handed down to leaders of another church in the same city, Golden Lampstand Church, facing similar charges related to church finances.
CSW President Mervyn Thomas said: “The recent sentencing of members and leaders of Linfen Covenant Home Church and Golden Lampstand Church highlights once again how easily China’s complex judicial system and processes can be manipulated. Throughout both cases, trials were held behind closed doors, lawyers were barred from bringing essential devices into court, and hearings took place without proper legal representation, raising serious questions about the integrity of China’s judicial process.”
He added: “CSW condemns these unjust sentences and China’s criminalisation of freedom of religion or belief. We call on the Chinese authorities to immediately overturn the sentences and to ensure transparent, fair and open legal proceedings.”
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List ranks China 15th out of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.