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Looking back at the year's biggest stories of faith under fire.
2025 was a year of intensified persecution, but also unbreakable courage. From nationwide raids on house churches to ongoing surveillance and arrests, China's believers faced a full-scale assault on religious freedom. Yet, their faith endures.
January
Police Storm Sunday Worship: 10 Christians Hauled Away in China's Ruthless Crackdown
In Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, police disrupted a peaceful Sunday worship service at an evangelical house church on January 5, detaining at least ten co-workers for questioning, with three held over 24 hours before release without charges. The church decried this as a pretext for persecution, yet in their prayer requests, they sought divine peace, showing resilient hope amid oppression.
February
The Torture of a 70-Year-Old Christian for Sharing the Bible
At the 5th International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., on February 4-5, ChinaAid President Rev. Bob Fu exposed the CCP's escalating persecution, highlighting the case of 70-year-old Sister Wang Honglan, detained over three years and mistreated for distributing Bibles, alongside church raids and the disappearance of lawyer Gao Zhisheng. Testimonies from house church leaders underscored family separations, but U.S. Vice President Vance pledged action, inspiring global solidarity for the resilient faithful.
March
The Brutal Torture of Pastor Chang's 7-Year Fight for Religious Freedom
On March 6, Pastor Chang Yuchun's family learned of his ongoing suffering in prison, where he endured sleepless interrogations, denial of basic needs, and assaults after his 2020 arrest for printing Christian books, sentenced to seven years. Despite family hardships, including untreated cancer among relatives, Pastor Chang remained resolute, quoting Proverbs to affirm his commitment, exposing the CCP's systematic oppression while inspiring calls for advocacy.
April
28 Christians Indicted, Catholic in Coma After Brutal Raid
Authorities indicted 28 house church Christians in Suizhou, Hubei, on March 27 for "using cult organizations to undermine the law," the largest such detention in years, leaving families shattered. In Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, nine believers including Wang Honglan were sentenced up to four years and 10 months for distributing Bibles, while in Shanxi's Lüliang Diocese, a March 23 raid hospitalized Catholic Francis Zuo Shangwang in a coma after police violence—yet these communities persist, calling for international solidarity.
May
Courtroom Horror and Stolen Organs: Bob Fu's Urgent Plea to Stop the Atrocities
In Linfen, Shanxi, SWAT officers removed Preacher Li Jie's family from the courthouse on May 8 during his trial on fraud charges stemming from a 2022 church raid, amid heavy security and threats. On May 6, ChinaAid's Bob Fu co-signed a letter urging the U.S. House to pass the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act to combat extraction from prisoners of conscience, including Christians, fueling global calls for justice and highlighting believers' endurance.
June
China's Ruthless Raids on Churches and the Pastors Paying the Price
Authorities raided multiple Zion Church locations in cities like Beijing, Chongqing, and Guiyang in late May and early June, detaining pastors like Gao Le for up to 15 days. Pastor Lian Changnian: Due to severe psychological and physical abuse during detention, including starvation, beatings, forced drug ingestion, and prolonged restroom denial, Lian Changnian was diagnosed with a mental illness and hospitalized for treatment. Ten Golden Lampstand Church members in Shanxi received harsh sentences for voluntary offerings—underscoring the CCP's war on unregistered churches, yet believers' steadfast faith inspires global intervention.
July
19 Christians Disappear in Raid – The Urgent Fight for Religious Freedom
On July 2, authorities raided Maizhong Reformed Church in Anhui, detaining 19 members including children, whose whereabouts remain unknown, following the June 29 arrest of five young adult fellowship leaders in Shenyang on "cult" charges with torture. Echoing the 709 Crackdown's legacy, where lawyers like Xie Yang were imprisoned for defending Christians, these cases highlight erosion of rule of law, but resilient believers continue small gatherings, urging global prayers.
August
27 Christians Seized and 8 Years Disappeared
On August 3, authorities raided Zion Church's branch in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, detaining 27 Christians, including children, for interrogation. Young believer Zhan Ge endured rough questioning by five male officers despite her depression, receiving 12 days' detention and a fine for faith-based activities. Marking the eighth anniversary of lawyer Gao Zhisheng's disappearance for defending Christians and the abduction of defender Yin Xu’an, these events show relentless suppression, but the resilient voices of the faithful inspire global advocacy for justice.
September
New Bill Demands Action on China's Political Prisoners
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith introduced the Freedom for Gao Zhisheng Act (HR 5303), co-sponsored across parties, to secure the release of disappeared Christian lawyer Gao Zhisheng and others like Jimmy Lai. ChinaAid's Dr. Bob Fu hailed the bill, noting Gao's torture for defending the persecuted, renewing resolve to hold China accountable and support the countless detainees enduring for their faith.
October
How Xi's Regime Jailed Dozens and Disappeared a Brave Student
On October 10, authorities arrested nearly 30 Zion Church leaders, including Pastor Jin Mingri, in a nationwide raid across nine provinces, charging them with "fraud" in the worst crackdown in decades, even detaining a breastfeeding mother briefly. Pro-Tibet activist Zhang Yadi remained missing since July under "national security" suspicions, with lawyer Jiang Tianyong detained for aiding her family, highlighting family anguish and calling for international advocacy to break the silence.
November
Pastors Jailed, Faith Under Siege, Global Prayers Ignite Defiance
In Anhui, Pastor Zhao Hongliang and others from Huainan Covenant Church were sentenced on November 6 for removing surveillance cameras, resisting Sinicization policies that ban youth involvement and separate families. The CECC hearing on November 20 featured Bob Fu and others exposing imprisonments like those of Gao Zhisheng and Wang Yi, while ChinaAid's 24-hour prayer vigil on November 11 united thousands globally for Zion Church, amplifying courage amid repression.
December
Escalating War on Faith in China
In Kazakhstan, 18 activists, including family members, were arrested for protesting a driver's detention in Xinjiang, showing the CCP's cross-border influence. While Beijing police raided a Zion Church Thanksgiving home gathering, detaining Sister Chang. Over 1,000 officers raided house churches in Zhejiang's "China's Jerusalem" in mid-December, detaining hundreds resisting Sinicization. Christian journalist Zhang Zhan, imprisoned for her 2020 Wuhan COVID-19 reporting, received ChinaAid's 2025 Lin Zhao Freedom Award for her dedication to truth amid persecution. She was re-sentenced to 4 years in September 2025, with her location unknown, raising fears of enforced disappearance and prompting calls for her release. |
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Thank You
, as we close 2025, I thank you from the depths of my heart for your unwavering support of the persecuted faithful. Because of you, we've exposed the Chinese Communist Party's brutal human rights abuses on the global stage, alerting leaders like Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary Rubio, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and countless others to the plight of our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Your generosity has amplified their voices, provided aid to imprisoned pastors' families, and fueled advocacy that saves lives. Yet, the fight intensifies. In 2025, persecution soared with nationwide arrests, forced Sinicization, and relentless surveillance—but the underground church endures, growing stronger in faith.
As we look ahead to 2026, let's double down on our efforts. These brave believers need us more than ever. Will you join me in "WALKING WITH THE PERSECUTED FAITHFUL IN 2026?” Commit today by taking these steps: Pray daily for their protection. Advocate by contacting your representatives. Support persecuted families here.
Don't wait—forward this vital recap to five close friends immediately and expand awareness exponentially! Together, we stand firm. "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10)
In His service,
Bob Fu
Founder and President, ChinaAid
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