Zhang Sen, Pastor of Anhui Fuyang Wheat Seed Reformed Church, Pastor Chang Shun and Elder Ma Tao’s Case Opens Today

（Rights Defense Network Information Center report）On June 9, 2026，this outlet learned：the case of Zhang Sen, pastor of AnAnhui Fuyang Wheat Seed Reformed Church, Pastor Chang Shun and Elder Ma Tao opened today。

Anhui Fuyang Wheat Seed Reformed Church has repeatedly faced repression by the authorities since 2021 for upholding the house-church position and refusing to join the Three-Self Church，on June 29, 2025，the church was raided by the authorities，and Pastor Chang Shun and Elder Ma Tao were criminally detained；on July 9, 2025，Pastor Zhang Sen was arrested；in October 2025，Zhang Sen, Pastor Chang Shun and Elder Ma Tao were transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution on charges of “organizing an illegal gathering.”。

Appendix: Zhang Sen’s biography:A native of Anhui Province，Christian，pastor of the “Wheat Seed Reformed Church” in the Economic and Technological Development Zone of Fuyang City, Anhui Province，victim of religious persecution，and a Chinese prisoner of conscience。

A devout believer in Jesus Christ；because the church where he serves is a Presbyterian church，he upholds the house-church position in his faith and publicly refuses to join the “Three-Self” churches controlled by the Chinese Communist government，and therefore has been placed under stability-maintenance surveillance；

In 2018，he participated in signing the Declaration of Pastors’ Joint Statement: A Declaration of Christian Faith, initiated by Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church；

In August 2021，the church where he serves was raided for the first time by police from Yingzhou District, Fuyang City，and thereafter it frequently faced repression，during which he was beaten，became a key target of stability maintenance，was frequently summoned by police to “have tea” and was followed for extended periods；

In 2023，as the persecution faced by his church escalated，some Christians willing to join together for homeschooling attracted the close attention of the local government，and many believers’ families were harassed，with some even forced to relocate，while some had their homes illegally broken into or were followed、with trackers and surveillance devices installed, among other measures，after which the Wheat Seed Reformed Church was soon officially banned by the government，and nearly 20 people were taken away and detained；

On March 24, 2024，because eight church Christians had been approved for release，he and other believers went to the detention center entrance to welcome them，and prayed together nearby，whereupon he was summoned for questioning，and then on March 28 was placed under 15 days of administrative detention by police from the local police station on the grounds that “the prayer had not been reported”；

On June 29, 2025，the church where he serves was again raided by police while worship was taking place，and Pastor Chang Shun and Elder Ma Tao in the church were taken away and criminally detained，on suspicion of “illegal assembly”；although he was not present at the church worship service at the time，on July 9 of the same year，he was likewise seized and criminally detained by Fuyang police across provincial borders at a friend’s home in Xuzhou, Jiangsu、with the specific alleged offense unknown，but it is certain to be related to his faith；because in an interview on May 28, 2025, with the house-church online prayer program “China at Five in the Afternoon,” he stated that his signing of the Declaration of Pastors’ Joint Statement initiated by Pastor Wang Yi had been the main reason the Wheat Seed Reformed Church repeatedly suffered persecution，and because he was one of its signatories，the possibility that he was targeted for severe repression is extremely high；he has remained detained ever since and has not been released. He is currently detained at the Fuyang City Detention Center（Lukan Road, Yingquan District, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, postal code: 236050）。

Appendix: Chang Shun’s biography:A native of Anhui Province，Christian，pastor of the “Wheat Seed Reformed Church” in the Economic and Technological Development Zone of Fuyang City, Anhui Province，and a Chinese prisoner of conscience。

A devout believer in Jesus Christ，he became involved in ministry at the Wheat Seed Reformed House Church in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, at an early stage, and later successively became an evangelist and a pastor；in 2018，he and other pastors of the church participated in signing the “Pastors’ Joint Signature: A Statement for the Christian Faith” initiated that year by Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church，demonstrating their adherence to the house-church position and publicly refusing to join the Chinese Communist Party’s “Three-Self” churches；but as a result, the church where he served was ultimately banned by the government, although the believers and pastors such as him continued to hold services discreetly and with difficulty, while enduring repeated raids and repression；

On October 21, 2023，he and six or seven Christians from the church were discovered by local authorities studying the Bible in an office building，and consequently faced a joint raid by multiple departments, including the local police station, the residential community and the religious affairs bureau，which illegally confiscated the books and computers they were using and took away several male Christians, including him, for questioning；two weeks later, on November 4，he and church coworkers Han Xuri and Han Meng were each placed under 10 days of administrative detention by police from the Fuyang Economic and Technological Development Zone on the grounds of “illegal assembly activities,” and each was fined 500 yuan；

On March 10, 2024，the church where he served was again raided by the authorities during worship，18 Christians were taken away，and nine pastors and coworkers were placed under administrative detention，he was placed under 15 days of administrative detention（reportedly, this was his third detention within half a year）；

On June 29, 2025，just as worship services were being held at Fuyang Wheat Seed Reformed Church and the Covenant Hall preaching station, local police again raided them，forcing multiple church groups to stop meeting，and he, Elder Ma Tao and 19 other pastors and believers（including four children）were all taken away on suspicion of illegal assembly；the following day（June 30），most people were gradually released，but he and Elder Ma Tao were criminally detained on suspicion of “organizing an illegal gathering”；they have remained imprisoned and have not been released to this day；it is reported that the Christians who were released and returned home continue to be monitored and harassed, and were forcibly made to move. He is currently detained at the Fuyang City Detention Center（Lukan Road, Yingquan District, Fuyang City, Anhui Province, postal code: 236050）。