“This is actually political persecution”: Detained pastor Zhou Songlin responds to church conflict

(Hefei, Anhui Province – May 16, 2024) On May 5, 2024, Pastor Zhou Songlin of Ganquan Church in Hefei, Anhui Province, responded from prison to the recent divisions among church co-workers over his wife and Elder Ding Zhongfu’s wife hiring defense lawyers for them. He said the persecution he and Elder Ding Zhongfu are facing is actually political persecution. They did not actively participate in politics, but were forced into it, only to realize the church is not in a political vacuum.

Hefei Ganquan Church is a house church that started as a small Bible study group and grew over 20 years into an influential local church. Following the 2,000-year Christian tradition, Ganquan Church relies on voluntary offerings from believers and has strict financial oversight with regular disclosures. The gathering venue property was purchased by resolution of the co-workers’ assembly, with several co-workers jointly holding the deed. The legal process was followed, with video notarization to prove the property belongs to the church.

In mid-November 2023, congregants discovered hidden cameras had been secretly installed in the church, but they did not stop gathering. On the morning of November 30, 2023, in a surprise move, 16 church members had their homes searched by police and were detained on suspicion of “fraud.” Later, 14 were gradually released on bail pending trial. But Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu have remained in custody. In early May, defense lawyers went to the Shushan District Procuratorate in Hefei and learned:

1. The case will not be returned for further investigation.
2. There will be a 15-day extension.
3. The two will not confess or accept punishment as they do not admit guilt.
4. Charges will be brought in court no later than the 20th.

Since the crackdown, church co-workers and other Christians have faced extensive interrogations and threats. The wives of Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu, Wei Shudie and Ge Yunxia, hired two Christian lawyers for their husbands. There were dissenting voices within the church over the lawyers hired by the two wives. On February 5, 2024, Ganquan Church held a co-workers’ assembly and issued a public “Announcement” to all congregants, stating the church’s position on the relationship between church and state:

We are indigenous Chinese Christians. We have always upheld the concepts of not engaging in politics, not involving foreign entities, maintaining communication, and adhering to biblical faith. Therefore, we do not want this church incident exploited by foreign forces (involving foreign entities) to achieve certain political aims (engaging in politics). These articles may have a negative impact on the circumstances and subsequent legal proceedings of our pastors. They could also objectively result in an unclear stance by the church. So effective immediately, the church requires all brothers and sisters to stop publishing, forwarding, commenting on, or liking relevant articles.

Brothers and sisters, please decline requests for private writing or contributions. If there is continued private contact, writing, contributing, and forwarding to foreign individuals or media for publication, the church will initiate disciplinary procedures for the members involved… Brothers and sisters, please do not propose petitions, issue statements, collect signatures, take or forward photos, or send money in your personal or collective name, as these actions all carry security risks. If relevant photos or records are forwarded by the media, it will also damage the church’s stance on the church-state relationship.

The “Announcement” claims the methods used by the legal team frequently create and generate confrontations with the government, putting the church in direct opposition to the government, which clearly contradicts the church’s stance and their faith. The church demanded the wives of the two imprisoned pastors dismiss their current lawyers and hire lawyers aligned with the church’s position. The two wives rejected the church’s demand, unwilling to change lawyers.

On April 8, 2024, Ganquan Church preacher Wu Fengbo publicly wrote an article titled “Why I Left This Church,” reiterating the stance of the February 5 “Announcement.” He believes Christians should not defend their rights or oppose the government when facing persecution, and that the actions of the lawyers and the two pastors’ wives implicated everyone in the church. He announced his withdrawal from Ganquan Church.

On April 13, 2024, seven members calling themselves Ganquan Church deacons and co-workers jointly issued an open letter titled “Our Reasons for Leaving This Church,” reasserting the position of the February 5 “Announcement.” They criticized the two pastors’ wives and defense lawyers for being too confrontational with the government and not submitting to the authorities.

In response to this open letter, on April 27, the wives of Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu, Wei Shudie and Ge Yunxia, wrote a response titled “Please Release Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu!”

In response to criticism from within the church and some people’s decision to leave, Pastor Zhou Songlin stated:

I was heartbroken to hear yesterday that some have left the church.

Choosing to leave the church at this extremely difficult time is incomprehensible.

By leaving, are you not disrupting our own ranks, using your right hand to cut off your left?

Is this not precisely falling into the trap of the evil one, paining loved ones and delighting enemies?

Exactly what kind of pressure are you facing that forces you to make such a terrible decision?

Are you fleeing persecution out of fear?

Refusing to pay even a small price for your faith?

Or do you want to leave and draw a line between yourselves and me?

Do you want to add to the suffering of my bonds?

Do you really not know I am imprisoned not for my own sins, but for Christ and His church, for your sake?

Perhaps irreconcilable differences over politics have made you choose to leave the church, is that it?

Did no one deal with political divergence with wisdom and patience?

Can political divergence really be grounds for separation? How high a priority are you placing on political issues?

Below I will briefly express some immature thoughts.

1. I have always adhered to the principle of separation of church and state. It was even due to this principle that we suffered this persecution. This is actually political persecution. We did not actively participate in politics, but were forced into it. It turns out we are not in a political vacuum.
2. We have always taken a non-violent, non-cooperative political stance. When persecution comes upon us, we do not engage in violent resistance or act out of fleshly anger. But we cannot obey them without limits. We must not give false testimony implicating others out of fear.
3. We should follow biblical principles and submit to the authorities to a limited extent. We are willing to accept normal oversight by relevant government departments. But at the same time, we must also courageously express political stances in accordance with the Bible.
4. The two lawyers I hired may have some sensitivity that offended some leaders. But these two lawyers hold licenses to practice law in the People’s Republic of China. I value their professionalism and hope they will use their professional legal knowledge to defend me and defend the rights of our church. In this process, I face pressure just as you do. But I also sincerely thank them for their hard work.

If the church co-workers feel it is inappropriate from the church’s perspective, please provide reasonable grounds and specific suggestions. I am willing to submit to the authority of the church, even if it means losing legal defense.

My final suggestion is to invite several respected Christians like Pastor Jin Tianming to seek their advice and help. After all, we are members of the broader church. In difficulty and helplessness, we should seek the support of the wider church.

Otherwise, our church will only get worse.”

Zhou Songlin

Sunday, May 5, 2024  

Hefei Detention Center

The conflict within Ganquan Church over rights defense and submission to the government, triggered by the church’s persecution and arrest of pastors, reflects two different church-state views among house churches in mainland China. As Pastor Zhou Songlin says, “This is actually political persecution. We did not actively participate in politics, but were forced into it. It turns out we are not in a political vacuum.”