The historical house church was liquidated in 2019 but its pastor Yang Xibo and his family continue to be harassed.
by Yu Chuntao
In 2019, “Bitter Winter” reported the liquidation of Xunsiding Church in Xiamen, Fujian. In another article, “Bitter Winter” told the story of this venerable house church, which continued a ministry that had operated in Fujian for more than one hundred years.
The Xunsiding Church traces its roots to Yang Huaide, who served as pastor of Xiagang Church since the year 1900. Yang died in 1946 and among the offshoots of Xiagang Church was Xunsiding Church, whose pastors were Yang Huaide’s grandchildren Yang Xinfei and Yang Yuanzhang. They were arrested during the Cultural Revolution but were subsequently released and continued their ministry until they both died in 2011.
Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife Wang Xiaofei succeeded Yang Xinfei and Yang Yuanzhang as leaders of the church. However, Xunsiding Church fell victim to Xi Jinping’s nation-wide crackdown against house churches. It was liquidated on May 31, 2019, and believers were forcibly expelled from their place of worship.
However, the persecution did not cease. On September 29, 2023, Yang Xibo and Wang Xiaofei were informed of a decision of the Siming District People’s Court of Xiamen city, stating that a 2021 administrative decision sentencing them to pay a fine of 400,000 yuan (200,000 yuan each, plus execution expenses), which had been upheld in first degree in November 2022, has now been confirmed on appeal. An order forbidding them to leave the country was also issued.
400,000 yuan correspond to U.S. $55,000, an amount poor struggling Christian pastors cannot conceivably pay. The vengeance of the CCP continues to pursue Pastor Yang Xibo, who spoke out bravely against the crackdown of house churches ordered by Xi Jinping, and his family.
