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China continues religious crackdown, Beijing Zion Church pastor charged with fraud, faces up to 10 years

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Wang Cong, a pastor at Beijing's Zion Church, faces up to 10 years in prison on fraud charges.
  • Chinese authorities arrested Wang and over 20 other church members in October of the previous year as part of a crackdown on unregistered religious groups.
  • The charges stem from church donations collected between 2019 and 2025, which authorities deem fraudulent due to the church's unregistered status.

Wang Cong, a pastor at Beijing's Zion Church, one of China's largest underground congregations, faces a potential 10-year prison sentence on fraud charges. She was arrested last October along with more than 20 other members of the church, in what appears to be part of a broader campaign by Chinese authorities to suppress unregistered religious groups.

The child witnessed everything and cried in fear, she was in her mother's arms and was forcibly pulled away.

— Ren ZhongDescribing his daughter's experience during the arrest of his wife, Pastor Wang Cong.

Wang's husband, Ren Zhong, who is also a preacher, recounted the night of the arrest. Seven unidentified law enforcement officers allegedly broke into their Beijing home, subdued him, and separated him from their four-year-old daughter, Song En, who witnessed the event. Wang was taken away with church books, and her family has had no contact with her since.

If my wife is charged with fraud for this, it is actually a denial of the entire Christian faith.

— Ren ZhongRefuting the fraud charges against his wife, Pastor Wang Cong, regarding church donations.

Despite China's constitution guaranteeing religious freedom, the government maintains a cautious stance toward organized religious groups, requiring official registration. Critics argue this allows for excessive government interference in church affairs and doctrine. Under President Xi Jinping, the scrutiny of unofficial religious organizations has intensified. Zion Church itself was previously forced to close in 2018 but experienced growth online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The senior pastor is fine, but the believers below are in trouble, which doesn't make sense.

— Gao Guangjun's fatherQuestioning the charges against Zion Church members while the senior pastor was released.

The charges against Wang and seven other members involve approximately 660,000 yuan (about $91,000) in church donations collected between 2019 and 2025. Authorities allege this constitutes fraud because the Zion Church is not officially registered. Ren Zhong refutes this, stating that congregant offerings are a fundamental practice of Christian faith. If convicted of fraud, Wang could face a decade in prison. The family of another detained pastor, Gao Guangjun, questioned the disparity, noting that the senior pastor was released while other members face charges.

I feel deep pain and torment knowing that my colleagues are still detained.

— Ezra JinExpressing distress over the continued detention of fellow church members after his own release.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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