Crackdowns on House Churches Intensifies
Crackdowns on China’s unregistered house churches have intensified following new regulations banning unauthorized online preaching issued by Beijing’s top religious affairs authority. The campaign has involved coordinated raids, mass detentions, and the use of various criminal charges against independent Christian groups that refuse to register under the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement.
Zion Church (锡安教会)
One of China’s largest independent Protestant house-church networks, Zion Church has become a major target of the government’s crackdown. On October 10, coordinated raids were carried out against its branches in Beijing, Guangxi, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Shandong. At least 23 members (13 female, 10 male) are being held in two detentions centers in Beihai, Guangxi, on suspicion of illegally using information networks.
Known detainees include Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri (金明日), Wang Lin (王林), Wang Cong (王聪), Sun Cong (孙聪), Gao Yingjia (高颖佳), Yin Huibin (尹会彬), Liu Bingbin (刘炳彬), Lin Shubin (林书斌), Yang Lijun (杨丽君), Wei Yunfei (魏云斐), Zhu Mingli (朱明立), Cui Xiaole (崔晓乐), Wu Xiaoyu (吴小雨), and Li Shengjuan (李盛娟).
Additionally, ethnic Mongol Huhetuya (胡和图雅), affiliated with the Zion Church, is facing the same charges and is being held in Beihai.
Unlike previous crackdowns on house churches where members are often accused of fraud or conducting illegal business operations, Zion Church leaders and members are now detained under the charge of “illegally using information networks.” The charge is believed to relate to the church’s posting of prayer videos and other religious content on social medial platforms.
Taiyuan Xuncheng Fellowship (太原郇城教会)
On October 12, 2025, the house-church’s Sunday gathering in Taiyuan, Shanxi, was disrupted by plain-clothes and uniformed officers. They confiscated attendees’ mobile phones, Bibles, hymnals, computers, and the church’s offering box, and placed at least 11 members under administrative detention for 15 days. They were released on October 28. Those detained—including An Yankui (安彦魁), Wang Yingjie (王英杰), Wang Ying (王瑛), Zhang Chenghao (张承浩), and Zhao Weikai (赵维凯)—had previously been detained or harassed for participating in Xuncheng Fellowship’s unregistered religious activities.
Wheatseed Reformed Church (麦种归正教会)
In October, authorities in Fuyang, Anhui, transferred the case of Wheatseed Reformed Church to the procuratorate for prosecution. Pastors Zhang Sen (张森), Chang Shun (常顺) and elder Ma Shutao (马树涛) were formally indicted on charges of “organizing illegal gatherings” (组织非法聚集罪) for leading unregistered religious meetings and allegedly preaching to minors.
Shenyang Celtic Youth Fellowship (沈阳塞尔特青年团契)
In October 2025, authorities in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, stepped up their crackdown on the Celtic Youth Fellowship, a house church known for its youth-oriented ministry. Around eight members were detained in mid‑ to late‑October, including Pastor Wang Xiangchao (王相超) and Shao Huaxuan (邵华煊). Those detained were accused of “organizing a cult to undermine implementation of the law.” Several of the detainees had been previously arrested or investigated earlier in 2025. By the end of October, some were released on bail, while others remained in detention.
Ethnic Lisu Christian
On October 17, Li Guiwen (李贵⽂), an ethnic Lisu Christian in Yunnan’s Yuanmou County, was formally indicted for organizing illegal gatherings. Li was detained on August 2, 2025 and arrested on September 8. The Lisu community has a long-standing Christian heritage dating back to early 20th century missionary activity. Li’s case underscores the vulnerability of ethnic-minority Christians, whose unregistered church activities serve both as expressions of faith and cultural continuity, drawing heightened scrutiny from authorities seeking to control both religion and minority traditions.
Chinese Student Detained after Returning from Abroad
Chinese student Hu Yang (胡洋), a student in the Netherlands, remains detained at Zhengzhou No. 3 Detention Center on charges of picking quarrels and provoking trouble after being taken into custody at Shanghai Pudong Airport on July 26. On 8 November 2025, he was allowed his first lawyer visit following repeated refusals by authorities. His case has been transferred to the Erqi District Procuratorate for review. The family continues to assert that his detention stems from his online speech, and reported that his mother faced pressure to remove public appeals in September. She has since resumed posting updates.
Labor Activist Indicted for Inciting Subversion
On September 28, 2025, the Yiyang Procuratorate in Hunan Province indicted Li Weizhong (李维忠) on charges of inciting subversion of state power. Prosecutors allege that Li published 32 articles on the Democratic China website during 2016–2018, posted 36 tweets on X under his online alias during 2019–2024, and printed 50 copies of essays by another dissident for distribution.
Li, also known by his online alias Li Yuanfeng (李原风), is a veteran labor rights advocate. Li has worked with NGOs, edited labor publications, and investigated local issues such as land seizures, corruption, and workers’ rights abuses.