Appeal Verdict Confirms Harsh Sentences for Golden Lampstand Church Leaders

Leaders of Shanxi’s popular Sola Fide congregation will remain in jail for terms of up to nine years.

By Dong Quiyue

August 25, 2025

Linfen Intermediate People’s Court. From Weibo.

On August 15, 2025, the Linfen Intermediate People’s Court in Shanxi Province upheld the first-degree verdict against several members of the Golden Lampstand Church, confirming lengthy prison sentences and substantial fines for leaders and co-workers of the well-known Christian house church. The decision marks a significant moment in China’s ongoing crackdown on religious groups operating outside the state-sanctioned framework.

The appeal verdict, announced at 9 a.m. local time, reaffirms the original sentences handed down in June 2025, which included prison terms ranging from one year and ten months to nine years and two months, primarily on charges of “fraud” — a legal instrument increasingly used to suppress unregistered religious activity. Among those sentenced are prominent church figures such as Brother Li Shuangping, who received nine years and two months, and Sister Li Qin, who was sentenced to five years and seven months.

Defense attorneys representing the accused, including lawyers Zhao Qingshan and Wang Shengsheng, filed formal complaints against Judge Shi Xiaopeng and others in the court, citing procedural irregularities. They argued that the charges were politically motivated and that the defendants were targeted solely for their faith and leadership roles within the Golden Lampstand Church.

The complaint filed against Judge Shi Xiaopeng. From X.

Founded in Linfen City, Shanxi, the Golden Lampstand Church is part of a broader Sola Fide network of house churches and has long been a thorn in the side of Chinese authorities. With a congregation reportedly numbering over 50,000, the church constructed a large worship site at a cost of nearly $2.6 million USD—a symbol of its growth and independence. That site was demolished by the government in 2018, and the church has since faced relentless harassment, including surveillance, arrests, and forced outdoor services.

The current wave of repression began in August 2021, when multiple church leaders were detained in Linfen’s Yaodu District. The case was transferred to the city’s procuratorate later that year, and prosecutors reportedly pressured defendants to dismiss their Christian lawyers in favor of attorneys more aligned with the Chinese Communist Party. Despite these efforts, the church members maintained their defense, leading to the harsh sentences now confirmed on appeal.

Human rights advocates and religious freedom organizations have expressed alarm at the verdict, viewing it as part of a broader campaign to eliminate house churches that refuse to register with the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Fraud charges—often vaguely defined and inconsistently applied—have become a common tactic to criminalize religious gatherings, donations, and community leadership.

“The confirmation of these sentences sends a chilling message to all unregistered religious groups in China,” said one local observer familiar with the case. “Even peaceful worship and community service can be construed as criminal acts if they fall outside the Party’s control.”

The Golden Lampstand Church case is emblematic of the increasing pressure faced by independent Christian communities across China. As the government intensifies its efforts to “Sinicize” religion—aligning faith practices with “socialist values” and Party loyalty—house churches that resist co-optation are being systematically dismantled.

The convicted church members now face years behind bars. Their story underscores the precarious position of religious freedom in China and the growing risks for those who choose to worship outside the bounds of state approval.

Source: bitterwinter.org