Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife Wang Xiaofei filed an appeal against the unreasonable sanction but lost. The fine was increased.
by Yu Chuntao
450,000 yuan are $63,632. It is not an insignificant sum in general but it represents a fortune for a poor, struggling Christian church in China. Yet, this is the sum that the pastor of Xunsiding Church in Xiamen, Fujian, and his wife are asked to pay.
When “Bitter Winter” last reported about the case in October, the sum was 400,000 yuan, but further legal expenses have now been added, as Pastor Yang Xibo and his wife Wang Xiaofei submitted an appeal against the astronomical fine and lost. They are now asked to appear on December 6 before the Xiamen Siming District Court. They should report on their properties and pay the fine or face the consequences.
As “Bitter Winter” had previously reported, 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. As part of Xi Jinping’s campaign against house churches, Xunsiding Church was liquidated on May 31, 2019, and the fine on the pastor and his wife was imposed.
The order of payment is now becoming enforceable, placing the couple in a very difficult situation, as neither they nor their congregation are in a position to pay the requested sum.
