China Sentences House Church Pastors to Prison

Open Doors reports that five pastors arrested without a warrant in China’s Shanxi Province as they were on their way to file a complaint over the demolition of their church building, have been sentenced to prison terms of three to seven years.

In one of the most oppressive measures against Christians in recent years, house church leader Yang Rongli was sent to prison for seven years for “illegally occupying farming land” and “disturbing transportation order by gathering masses.”

On Sept. 13 some 400 uniformed police and civilians bearing shovels, batons, bricks, iron hooks and other weapons had beaten members of the church who were sleeping at the nearly finished factory building used as a worship site.

Many state the case clearly demonstrated a deteriorating state of religious freedom in China and have called upon the international community, including the U.S. administration, to express concern.

Pastors Yang and Wang were able to chat briefly with their son during a recess near the bathroom outside the courtroom, and encouraged the boy to stand firm in his faith in Christ.

The two pastors have led the Fushan Church, part of a 50,000-strong house church network in Linfen and the surrounding villages, for more than 30 years.

Tags: Fushan Church, Pastor Arrested

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