Pastor and preacher An Yankui of Taiyuan Xuncheng Reformed Church placed under 15 days of administrative detention for “organizing illegal religious activities”

(Rights Defense Network Information Center report) On September 30, 2026, this outlet learned that at around 10:30 a.m. on September 29, 2026, preacher An Yankui, pastor of Taiyuan Xuncheng Reformed Church, was taken from his home by the Taiyuan Public Security Bureau on suspicion of “organizing illegal religious activities.” His wife, Yao Congya, received a call from the Taiyuan Public Security Bureau today and was told that Preacher An had been placed under 15 days of administrative detention for “illegally organizing religious activities.”

About An Yankui: Born on November 28, 1978, he is from Xicheng Township, Wenshui County, Shanxi Province, and lives in the Pingyang Jingyuan residential community in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. He is a Christian and a clergyman of the Reformed Gospel Church, a preacher at “Xuncheng Church” in the ancient county town of Jinyuan District, Taiyuan, and a Chinese prisoner of conscience.

He became a Christian through his devout faith in Jesus Christ and serves as a preacher at Xuncheng Church in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province (“Xuncheng” means “City of God”). Because the church he attends is a house church and refuses to come under the jurisdiction of the “Three-Self” churches recognized by the Chinese Communist authorities, he and the church have been closely monitored and harassed by the authorities. In late January 2020, he traveled with six clergy members of Xuncheng Church, including Zhang Chenghao, Zhang Ligong, Zhang Yaowen, Wang Runyun, Wang Shiqiang, and Song Shoushan, to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, to attend the “2020 Gospel and Culture Conference” organized by Pastor Tang Chongrong (a renowned Chinese Christian evangelist and theologian). Although he had a valid passport and visa and passed through customs without any problems, and had committed no illegal acts, this drew the authorities’ close attention and vigilance. Because he and the church’s congregants also refused to attend worship activities managed and led by “Three-Self” churches approved by the Chinese Communist authorities, on November 15, 2020, while the church was holding its Sunday service, it was raided without cause by the Taiyuan armed police and local police. He, his wife, and five other Christians who had taken photos with their phones were taken to the police station for questioning, then handcuffed and transferred elsewhere for further questioning and to give written statements. They were not released until 10 p.m. that night. On December 31, 2020, Xiaodian District police in Taiyuan placed him under 15 days of administrative detention on the charge of “organizing illegal religious activities” and fined him 1,000 yuan. On July 28, 2021, Jinyuan District police in Taiyuan criminally detained him on suspicion of “illegally crossing the national (border) territory”; he was later released on bail pending trial. On November 22 of the same year, Fenyang police in Shanxi Province criminally detained him again on suspicion of “illegally crossing the national (border) territory.” He was implicated in the same case as Zhang Chenghao, a fellow worker at Xuncheng Church, and was held at Wanshan County Detention Center. On December 28 of the same year, he was formally arrested. On June 16, 2022, the Fenyang People’s Procuratorate transferred his case to the Fenyang People’s Court. On August 5 of the same year, the Fenyang People’s Court held a closed hearing in his case. On November 3, he was finally sentenced to one year in prison for “illegally crossing the national (border) territory” and fined 5,000 yuan. His sentence ran through November 21, 2022. He had previously been held at the Xiaoyi City Detention Center in Fenyang.