Hefei’s Ganquan Church: Trial of Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu Keeps Being Postponed

The two Christian leaders remain in jail, where Elder Ding is experiencing serious health problems. 

By Wang Zhipeng

March 5, 2025

Elder Ding Zhongfu and his wife in happier times. From X.

“Bitter Winter” has repeatedly reported on the persecution of Hefei’s Ganquan Church, a house church in Anhui province.

Hefei’s Ganquan Church has been established for approximately twenty years and comprises more than 400 members, which has drawn the attention of local authorities. The congregation, through member donations and with Elder Ding Zhongfu serving as treasurer, acquired two properties for worship and communal activities. As a house church unaffiliated with the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Ganquan Church lacks legal status, resulting in the properties being registered under the names of its pastor and elders individually.

Authorities consequently used fraud accusations against Ganquan Church leaders, a legal tool employed by the CCP to suppress house churches, following the guidelines set by Xi Jinping himself at the National Conference on Work Related to Religious Affairs on December 3–4, 2021.

On November 30, 2023, Elder Ding Zhongfu’s home was searched in the early morning, and he was detained. Similar searches targeted the homes of Pastor Zhou Songlin, and co-workers and preachers Mao Junma, Pei Defei, and Yang Peiyun, who were also taken into police custody. On December 28, 2023, Mao Junma, Pei Defei, and Yang Peiyun were released on bail pending trial and returned home. Pastor Zhou and Elder Ding remained in detention.

On April 30, 2024, the Shushan District Police of Hefei City transferred the case to the Shushan District Court for prosecution. A few church co-workers faced pressure from authorities, leading to disagreements and splits over hiring defense lawyers. Consequently, some believers expressed their intention to leave the church.

Pastor Zhou Songlin stated from prison on May 5 that the persecution he and Elder Ding Zhongfu faced was “political” and that they “never participated in politics but were forced into politics.” The wives of the two Christian leaders also protested, asserting their husbands’ innocence and denying any fraudulent activities, and asked for their release.

Several church members submitted petitions and testimonial letters to the Hefei Religious Affairs Bureau and the Criminal Investigation Team at various times regarding the arrest of the two leaders. They asserted that there was no deception or fraud involved, but the authorities did not respond to their claims.

The People’s Court of Shushan District, Hefei City. From Weibo.

On July 31, 2024, a pre-trial meeting took place in the People’s Court of Shushan District, Hefei City. A second pre-trial meeting occurred on October 14, 2024. However, the trial and sentencing continue to be postponed to date.

Ding Zhongfu’s health is declining in the detention center. He has high blood pressure (110-170) that medication can’t control, along with chest tightness, dizziness, and insomnia. His wife is appealing for his immediate release, calling him an “innocent man.”

Source: bitterwinter.org