What happened
Edward Cui, founding pastor of Beijing Jiaquan Church, was arrested on Oct. 23, according to his wife, Jin Young Gu, who spoke to The Associated Press. Authorities first detained him during a Sept. 4 church raid involving about 100 police officers.
Gu said the fraud charges against her husband concern offerings from church members. The AP reported that the allegations likely relate to the church’s unregistered status.
Cui founded the congregation in 2006. Authorities sealed its Beijing worship facility in 2019, after which members began gathering in smaller groups at different locations. In 2023, officials interrupted a Sunday class and warned Cui and Gu that the church had become too large, telling Cui he should lead only one church with fewer than 100 people, Gu said.
Gu, a Korean national, said she 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 the AP’s request for comment, and China’s Foreign Ministry did not answer questions about Cui.
