6/27/2025 China (International Christian Concern) — As a church camp concluded one day in 2022, Chinese authorities arrested three pastors from Linfen Covenant Home Church in Shanxi. The church recently released a bold statement defending the pastors. 

The three leaders, Pastor Li Jie, Elder Han Xiaodong, and Elder Wan Qiang, were charged with multiple spurious charges, including fraud, and given prison sentences ranging from nearly two years to nearly four years and fined the equivalent of $2,800 to $4,200. Authorities throughout China often lob charges of fraud against leaders and members of unregistered house churches. 

Linfen Covenant Home Church posted the following statement about the arrests on social media: 

Our church faced persecution on August 19, 2022, and nearly three years have passed since then. During the trial, the three brothers and their lawyers firmly maintained a not-guilty defense. On June 20, 2025, we received the verdict from the Linfen Yaodu District Court. The three brothers were convicted of “fraud.” Li Jie and Han Xiaodong were sentenced to 3 years and 8 months in prison and fined 30,000 yuan, while Wang Qiang was sentenced to 1 year and 11 months in prison and fined 20,000 yuan. 

Despite the verdict, we strongly disagree with this unfair ruling because our brothers did not commit fraud, and the church’s offerings are not fraudulent. Our church remains a house church, upholding the principle of Christ as the only head of the church and the separation of church and state. We honor the service of Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang, who suffered for righteousness, and we are willing to bear the cross with the Lord. We receive this verdict with a grateful and obedient heart. 

We are thankful for the prayers from other churches, their care for the families, and the hard work of our legal team. May God continue to lead and protect us. Please keep praying for the follow-up issues of the case and for the well-being of our three brothers, Li Jie, Han Xiaodong, and Wang Qiang. May the Lord protect them.” 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org.