A quarterly report from CSW, an organization that defends persecuted Christians, says religious freedom in China is getting worse. The report, called "China Voices," was summarized by Christian Daily International on November 6, 2026. One of its central points is the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
According to CSW, Article 46 of the law formalizes the "Sinicization" of religion, a term used for adapting religions to the country and its system. Religious groups, religious schools and places of worship must promote a sense of community of the Chinese nation, including adaptation to socialist society with Chinese characteristics. The Communist Party says the law protects against separatism and extremism. CSW says the law gives the party legal impunity to increase control over religious communities and describes it as a measure to homogenize Chinese culture around the Han majority.
The report names church leaders who remain in detention. Pastor David Tang of Purpose Driven Church in Wenzhou was detained on August 5 with a financial administrator and five church workers, and they are reportedly held in a detention center in Shanghai, with no reasons made public. According to CSW, the church reportedly refused to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, a church structure the organization describes as government-controlled. Pastor Wang Sanyuan, 73, leader of a registered church in Jinan, Shandong Province, was detained on March 17, and his whereabouts and the charges have not been disclosed.
Regarding Zion Church in Beijing, which is not registered, CSW says six pastors, an elder and a pastor's wife remain detained. Hearings held August 14 to 18 ended without a verdict. The church, with at least 5,000 members, continues to operate at the same level, according to Grace Jin, daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri. Members listen to recorded sermons and hymns, which makes the congregation less dependent on a physical location.
How to pray
- Ask God to strengthen and protect the detained pastors and to give peace and provision to their families.
- Pray for wisdom and courage for churches deciding how to gather under the new law.
- Intercede for the members of Zion Church and other independent churches, that they remain firm in the faith and united.
- Give thanks for the congregations that continue to meet, and pray for justice in the courts.
Source: Christian Daily International
Illustrative image. Photo: Ulrich & Mareli Aspeling / Unsplash
