• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT CHINA
    • NEWS
    • TESTIMONIES
    • OP-EDS
    • FEATURED
    • GLOSSARY
    • CHINA PERSECUTION MAP
  • FROM THE WORLD
    • NEWS
    • OP-EDS
    • FEATURED
    • TESTIMONIES
  • INTERVIEWS
  • DOCUMENTS AND TRANSLATIONS
    • DOCUMENTS
    • THE TAI JI MEN CASE
    • TRANSLATIONS
  • EVENTS
  • ABOUT
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • TOPICS

Bitter Winter

A magazine on religious liberty and human rights

three friends of winter
Home / China / News China

Church of the Rock: Pastor Geng Zejun Sentenced to 1 Year and 3 Months in Prison

08/22/2022Ma Wenyan |

The popular house church preacher has been punished for his stubborn refusal to join the state-controlled Three-Self Church.

by Ma Wenyan

An image of Pastor Geng Zejun. From Weibo.
An image of Pastor Geng Zejun. From Weibo.

The name of Pastor Geng Zejun is known to the readers of Bitter Winter. He is the pastor of the Church of the Rock, a house church with a reformed theology located in the Huinong district of the prefecture-level city Shizuishan.

Shizuishan is the second largest city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It is located in the north of the region, near the border with Inner Mongolia. The name of the region comes from the Hui Muslims, who represent roughly one third of its population.

In June, Bitter Winter reported that the popular pastor, who had been arrested in January, had been committed to trial for his stubborn refusal to join the government-controlled Three-Self Church.

Bitter Winter has learned that Pastor Geng was put under heavy pressure to confess that he had committed the crime of organizing illegal religious gatherings and express repentance.

 A part of the decision against Pastor Geng. From Weibo.
A part of the decision against Pastor Geng. From Weibo.

He refused, however, and on July 13, 2022, his trial was held in the Huinong District Court of Shizuishan. The prosecutor asked for a sentence of 11 months. The court went beyond the prosecutor’s request and has now sentenced Pastor Geng to 1 year and 3 months in prison.

He remains detained at the Shizuishan City Detention Center, Nongzhi Branch.

Tagged With: House Churches, Religious Persecution

bw-profile
Ma Wenyan

Uses a pseudonym for security reasons.

Related articles

  • London Has Now the First Shrine for Persecuted Christians in Europe

    London Has Now the First Shrine for Persecuted Christians in Europe

  • David Lin: China Promises to Free in 2030 American Pastor Detained Since 2006

    David Lin: China Promises to Free in 2030 American Pastor Detained Since 2006

  • Shaanxi: Persecution of the Church of Abundance Continues

    Shaanxi: Persecution of the Church of Abundance Continues

  • Covenant Home Church Banned in Shanxi

    Covenant Home Church Banned in Shanxi

Keep Reading

  • Wang Xinmin: Veteran Falun Gong Prisoner Sentenced Again
    Wang Xinmin: Veteran Falun Gong Prisoner Sentenced Again

    An appeal decision confirmed a verdict of 4 and a half years against a 73-year-old practitioner who has already spent 13 years in jail.

  • Pakistanis Accused of Blasphemy Persecuted Abroad as Well
    Pakistanis Accused of Blasphemy Persecuted Abroad as Well

    Blogger Ahmed Waqas Goraya now lives in the Netherlands. He says the long arm of Pakistan is coming for him—and many others.

  • Sichuan Tibetan Intellectual Sentenced to Four and a Half Years in Jail
    Sichuan Tibetan Intellectual Sentenced to Four and a Half Years in Jail

    Tudan Lödup (Luo Zhu) defended the use of Tibetan language. He has been sentenced for “separatism.”

  • Henan Preacher Arrested for Purchasing Christian Books Online
    Henan Preacher Arrested for Purchasing Christian Books Online

    Chen Lijun was detained in August. His wife reports he is still in jail, and his family is in desperate conditions.

Primary Sidebar

Support Bitter Winter

Learn More

Follow us

Newsletter

Most Read

  • Pro-Chinese Propaganda by The World Muslim Communities Council: Uyghurs Strike Back by Gulfiye Y
  • Zhanargul Zhumatai: “Help Me, I Just Want to Leave China” by Ruth Ingram
  • L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 1. The Aesthetic Mind by Massimo Introvigne
  • Stricter Rules on Private Tutoring Protect Ideology Rather than Parents by Wang Zhipeng
  • Japan Religious Donations Law. 4. The Return of Brainwashing by Massimo Introvigne
  • Hong Kong: Christian Scholar Peng Manyuan Released but Not Rehabilitated by Gladys Kwok
  • The Weaponization of the CCP’s “Zero COVID” Against Tibet by Marco Respinti
  • L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 3. Art as Communication by Massimo Introvigne
  • L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 4. Art and Illustration by Massimo Introvigne
  • L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 5. Professionals vs. Amateurs by Massimo Introvigne

CHINA PERSECUTION MAP -SEARCH NEWS BY REGION

clickable geographical map of china, with regions

Footer

Instant Exclusive News
Instant Exclusive News

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief

MASSIMO INTROVIGNE

Director-in-Charge

MARCO RESPINTI

ADDRESS

CESNUR

Via Confienza 19,

10121 Turin, Italy,

Phone: 39-011-541950

E-MAIL

We welcome submission of unpublished contributions, news, and photographs. Each submission implies the authorization for us to edit and publish texts and photographs. We reserve the right to decide which submissions are suitable for publication. Please, write to INFO@BITTERWINTER.ORG Thank you.

Newsletter

Follow us

LINKS

orlir-logo hrwf-logo cesnur-logo

Copyright © 2023 · Bitter Winter · PRIVACY POLICY· COOKIE POLICY