Chinese Authorities Detain Beijing House Church Leaders on Fraud Allegations

Chinese authorities have detained Pastor Zhou Zixun, also known as Cui Xianfeng, and seven coworkers from the Beijing Jiaquan Church. The arrests followed a police operation on September 4, when over 100 officers surrounded a hotel venue where church members were preparing for the congregation’s 20th-anniversary celebration. While two individuals were initially released, subsequent detentions have left eight Christians in custody.

According to reports, the detainees are being investigated on suspicion of fraud. Sources familiar with the situation suggest these allegations are linked to the church’s status as an unregistered entity and the government's scrutiny of religious offerings. ChinaAid, a religious freedom advocacy group, noted that authorities have increasingly utilized economic-crime charges against leaders of independent churches.

Jiaquan Church, which serves approximately 1,000 members and operates the Noah Music School, is one of several influential urban house churches targeted in recent years. These congregations operate outside the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement. The recent crackdown also included reports of police confiscating mobile phones and mandating that believers replace traditional hymns with songs praising the Chinese Communist Party.