China Tightens Grip on Churches: Pastors Face Detention and Prison

Religious freedom across China has continued to deteriorate as Communist Party authorities impose stronger ideological controls and detain Christian leaders, according to a new report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

CSW’s October quarterly report highlights the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which took effect July 1. The organization says the legislation gives the Chinese Communist Party broader legal authority to restrict religious communities while advancing President Xi Jinping’s campaign to “Sinicize” faith.

Article 46 requires religious organizations, schools and places of worship to promote Chinese national identity and adapt to “socialist society with Chinese characteristics.” Although Beijing presents the law as protection against separatism and extremism, CSW argues that it will further marginalize religious and ethnic minorities.

The law may also expand China’s campaign against critics overseas. Article 63 provides for legal action against organizations and individuals outside China accused of undermining ethnic unity—language CSW warns could legitimize surveillance and intimidation abroad.

Several Christian leaders remain caught in the crackdown.

Pastor John Cao, who completed a seven-year prison sentence in 2024, is reportedly prohibited from leaving China to join his wife and sons in North Carolina. Cao, who has prostate cancer that has spread to his bones and spine, was questioned after police raided an unregistered church gathering.

Pastor David Tang and six other Purpose Driven Church workers were detained on August 5 in an operation reportedly carried out by Shanghai authorities. Officials have not publicly explained the detentions. The church has refused to join the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

The location and charges against 73-year-old Pastor Wang Sanyuan also remain undisclosed following his March detention. Meanwhile, Pastor Sun Chenghao is serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence over alleged illegal border crossings, despite his family’s insistence that he traveled legally for Christian activities in South Korea.

Zion Church has nevertheless continued operating after authorities detained 28 leaders in October 2025. Members use a decentralized “walk and worship” model, listening to prerecorded sermons and hymns while meeting informally or traveling to work.

The church’s resilience offers a striking contrast to China’s escalating repression: authorities may close buildings and imprison leaders, but faith communities continue finding ways to survive.

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