A pre-trial conference for Pastor Zhou Songlin and Elder Ding Zhongfu of Ganquan Church in Hefei, Anhui province, charged with suspicion of fraud, is scheduled for July 31, 2024. The two church leaders were arrested on November 30, 2023, and have been detained for nearly eight months. On the day of their arrest, public security officers conducted home searches on 16 Christians from the church, including Zhou and Ding, taking them into custody on fraud charges. Fourteen individuals were subsequently released or granted bail pending trial, while Zhou and Ding remained in detention.
On May 14, 2024, the Shushan District People’s Procuratorate of Hefei City filed a public prosecution against Zhou and Ding. The defense lawyers argue that neither engaged in deceptive behavior as defined by the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China. They contend there was no intention to illegally possess believers' property and that no misconceptions arose due to actions by Zhou or Ding. According to the defense, the property belongs collectively to the church rather than any individual. The tithe offerings made by believers are seen as a natural expression of fulfilling Christian obligations; thus, they argue Zhou and Ding cannot be held criminally responsible for fraud.
Hefei Ganquan Church has a history spanning over twenty years. It grew from a small Bible study group into a locally influential church. Adhering to a two-thousand-year tradition of Christian churches, it operates on voluntary donations from believers with strict financial supervision and regular public disclosure. The purchase of gathering venue property was decided by an assembly of co-workers who jointly hold ownership following legal procedures such as video notarization to confirm that the property belongs to the church.
Since their arrest, other believers at Ganquan Church have faced continuous questioning and threats from police demanding they accuse their pastors. The wives of Zhou and Ding have been accused of causing division within the church for hiring Zhang Kai and Li Guisheng—two Christian lawyers experienced in handling church cases—despite demands to dismiss them.
Pastor Zhou commented on these events: "In fact, this is political persecution. We didn’t actively engage in politics but were forced into it only to realize the church is not in a political vacuum."
