Beijing arrests founder of Jiaquan Church over fraud charges
Authorities seized the congregation's facilities in 2019 and warned the group to shrink before detaining its pastor this fall.
By Nikolai Morales ·
Chinese officials detained a Beijing pastor on fraud charges this month.
Jin Young Gu, the wife of Pastor Xianfeng Edward Cui, told The Associated Press that Cui was arrested on Oct. 23. Gu lives outside China. Cui founded Beijing Jiaquan Church in 2006. The congregation operates without state registration.
Gu said the fraud allegations involve money from church members’ offerings. She believes the charges stem from the church's unregistered status. Police first detained Cui on Sept. 4. That detention followed a raid on his church involving approximately 100 officers.
Beijing authorities have moved to tighten control over religious groups for years. In October 2025, police arrested 30 leaders of Zion Church. That network is one of the largest underground church systems in the country. Jin Mingri, the founder of Zion Church, was among those detained. He was released in July after U.S. President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to free him during a visit to Beijing.
Gu said authorities sealed off Jiaquan Church's worship facility in 2019. That action forced the congregation to split into smaller groups and meet at various locations. In 2023, police interrupted a Sunday class to warn the couple that their church had grown too large.
Gu recalled the officials telling Cui he should lead only one church with fewer than 100 people. She described the interaction as a direct warning about the size and organization of the congregation. Gu, a Korean national, has been denied a visa to return to China as a family member since 2023.
Police in Beijing’s Shijingshan district did not respond to a request for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not answer questions about the pastor sent via a messaging app.
