BEIJING -Let us be in prayer! A lawyer says the pastor of a Christian church in central China has been sentenced to 12 years in prison following a dispute with local authorities.
Yang Xingquan said Friday that Zhang Shaojie of the Nanle County Christian Church in Henan province was convicted of fraud and of gathering crowds to disturb public order.
Zhang’s church has the official sanction of the communist government, which allows worship only in state-monitored groups, but the church has been involved in a dispute with local authorities over land for a new building.
Yang denied accusations that Zhang instigated disputes. He says the pastor was targeted by authorities who are trying to control the rapid growth of churches.
By official estimates, China has 23 million Christians, but that doesn’t count a large number of unsanctioned underground, or home, churches that have attracted millions of worshippers and have been targeted in repeated crackdowns.