Case Details and Biography of Tang Bingyi, Pastor of Xi'an “Light of Zion Church” in Shaanxi, Who Was Arrested

On September 14, 2026, this outlet learned the case details and biography of Tang Bingyi, pastor of Xi'an “Light of Zion Church” in Shaanxi, who was arrested. They are now reported as follows:

Tang Bingyi: Born on September 8, 1986, a native of Huazhou District, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province (formerly Huaxian County, now renamed Huazhou District), a Christian, pastor of Xi'an “Light of Zion Church” in Shaanxi, and a detained prisoner of conscience in China.

He grew up in an ordinary farming family from childhood, but because both of his parents were Christians, everyone in his household, from top to bottom, devoutly believed in Jesus Christ. Because he grew up in a house-church environment from an early age, he was very simple and steady in temperament. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to a second-tier undergraduate college, but because of his family's financial circumstances and his personal direction, he dropped out after studying for only one year and left to work. Later, through an introduction by Pastor Gao Quanfu of Light of Zion Church (then called “Mount Zion Church”), he went to Xi'an to receive three years of systematic theological training, thereby embarking on a path of full-time ministry. Beginning in 2010, he undertook such ministries as preaching, pastoral care, and visitation at the church. He later went to Beijing Zion Church for two years of further study, and after graduating, returned to Xi'an “Light of Zion Church” to continue serving. In 2018, he married Liu Junli, a Christian woman, and they had a daughter after marriage. Because of his pastoral ministry at the church, his wife, who had originally worked for the local public transportation company, was later forced to leave her job because of the company's business difficulties. Thus, although the two of them had lived in Xi'an for many years, their family of three lived an extremely frugal life, residing in a public-rental apartment of only 40 square meters. For daily transportation, they relied solely on a two-wheeled electric vehicle, and his personal income was often only 350 to 800 yuan per month. It was not until before his arrest in 2025 that his living allowance rose to 3,800 yuan. Although his family's economic circumstances were extremely strained, their lives were simple and stable. However, as China's control over house churches continued to tighten, he increasingly felt pressure in the environment in which he served at the church. On November 29, 2023, the “Mount Zion Church” where he served was expressly announced as banned by the Xi'an Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau. The church subsequently adopted the new name “Light of Zion Church” and continued its worship, ministry, and preaching.

On May 16, 2025, his church's Pastor Gao Quanfu was taken away. On the 17th, he and nine other pastors and co-workers were also successively taken away and criminally detained by police from the Xingqing Road Police Station in Beilin District, Xi'an. On July 24, eight of the pastors and co-workers were released on bail pending trial, but he and Pastor Gao Quanfu remained in custody on suspicion of “committing the crime of using superstition.” In September of the same year, it was learned that his case had been approved for arrest by the Beilin District People's Procuratorate of Xi'an and that the alleged offense had been changed to “fraud.” On the same day, Pang Yu, the wife of Pastor Gao Quanfu, who was under residential surveillance, was again arrested by Beilin District police for “fraud.” The three were all part of the same case. On January 9, 2026, the case involving the three was formally transferred by the Beilin District People's Procuratorate to the Xibeilin District People's Court for review and prosecution. It was later learned that the case involving the three had again been divided into three separate cases for processing. On September 2, 2026, it was learned that a pretrial conference for his individual case would be held on September 15. In view of this, his family and the church's believers hope that the outside world will continue to pay attention to the case and pray for his early release and for his defense lawyer to provide him with an effective defense of innocence.

He is currently detained at the Beilin District Detention Center in Xi'an.