Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
China: Pastor Sentenced to 9 Months in Prison
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Hui Christian Pastor Ma Yan was sentenced to a nine-month prison term for “organizing illegal gatherings” in China, according to a Christian persecution advocacy group.
Ma Yan, a 33-year-old from Zhenxiong, Yunnan, embraced Christianity in college and later became a house church preacher in Yinchuan, Ningxia Province, relocating there to serve.
On February 10 2025, Ma Yan was tried for organizing a small Christian gathering in Yinchuan’s Jinfeng District, Ningxia, which was disrupted by a police raid on August 9, 2024, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).
On March 24, 2025, the Yinchuan Railway Transportation Court in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region sentenced Hui Christian Pastor Ma Yan to nine months in prison for organizing religious meetings deemed unauthorized by local authorities.
Sources from CSW indicate that Ma Yan pleaded guilty to ‘organizing illegal gatherings,’ opting for a charge that carries a lighter sentence and less moral stigma compared to other potential charges.
According to the US-based rights group China Aid, Pastor Ma Yan’s nine-month sentence will be reduced by 32 days due to time already served in administrative detentions. Since he has been in criminal detention since August 20, 2024, he is scheduled for release on April 17, 2025.
In the 2025 World Watch List by Open Doors, China is ranked 15th out of 50 for severe Christian persecution, up four spots from the previous year. This rise is due to stricter regulatory enforcement, resulting in the shutdown of unregistered churches and heightened scrutiny of official ones. Open Doors estimates there are about 96.7 million Christians in China.
Since the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, Christianity has seen explosive growth from 4 million Christians to an estimated 58 million Protestants and 9 million Catholics by 2010.
Despite ongoing intense persecution and strict government controls, current estimates suggest that there are between 80 to 100 million Christians in China, including both officially registered members and those in unregistered house church communities.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
European policymakers, church leaders and representatives of Syria’s Christian communities have urged the country’s transitional authorities to protect minority Christians amid concerns over the future of believers in the war-torn Middle East nation.
A reported Houthi attack has struck Saudi Arabia’s strategically vital East-West oil pipeline, the massive cross-country system designed to keep Saudi crude flowing even when the Strait of Hormuz is threatened or closed.
Spanish-Moroccan relations, already strained over migration, faced more pressure Friday after Spain’s lower house of parliament approved legislation that would grant Spanish citizenship to tens of thousands of Sahrawis born when Madrid administered Western Sahara.
Russia launched fresh air attacks on Ukraine early Friday after NATO reportedly confronted Russian vessels trying to sabotage undersea cables, highlighting concerns that Moscow is attempting to extend the war by targeting Europe’s critical infrastructure.
Iran-backed Houthi forces seized Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha, raising fears for global shipping as escalating Middle East tensions pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel.
The United States and its allies are commemorating the 25th anniversary of the worst terror attacks on American soil, which had worldwide implications ranging from wars to increased surveillance.
Several impoverished Christians have died across Pakistan in recent days amid what advocates describe as a pattern of violence, discrimination and hardship potentially threatening the Christian community throughout the predominantly Muslim nation, Christian sources told Worthy News.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com