100 Officers Raided Beijing Church Before Pastor's Fraud Arrest

Approximately 100 police officers raided a house church in Beijing on Sept. 4, according to the pastor's wife. The operation targeted Beijing Jiaquan Church, founded by Xianfeng Edward Cui in 2006. Cui was formally arrested on Oct. 23. His wife, Jin Young Gu, stated that authorities charged him with fraud.

Gu, who resides outside of China, told The Associated Press that the fraud allegations concern church member offerings. She suggested the charges stem from the congregation's status as an unregistered church. Beijing authorities have not confirmed the details of the case. Police in the Shijingshan district did not respond to requests for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also did not answer questions sent via a messaging app.

The detention fits into a wider effort by President Xi Jinping to control religious groups. The government seeks to ensure all faith groups follow Communist Party rules. This case follows a major crackdown in October 2025. During that operation, authorities arrested 30 leaders of the Zion Church network. The raids occurred overnight in several cities.

Jin Mingri, the founder of Zion Church, was among those arrested in 2025. He was released in July. His freedom followed a personal request made by U.S. President Donald Trump to Xi during a visit to Beijing.

Beijing Jiaquan Church grew in size as an unregistered congregation. Gu said authorities sealed the worship facility in 2019. This forced the group to meet in smaller gatherings at various locations. In 2023, officials interrupted a Sunday class to issue a warning. They told Cui to lead only one church with fewer than 100 people. Gu described this as a direct warning regarding the church's size and organization.

Gu has been denied a visa to return to China as a family member since 2023. She is a Korean national. The pastor's arrest marks the latest incident in China's tightening grip on unregistered religious institutions.