Gao Pu: Please Ask the International Community to Pay Attention to and Support My Father—Pastor Gao Quanfu of Light of Zion Church—and My Mother, Pang Yu

This July, a miracle occurred in China: imprisoned Christian pastor Ezra Jin, from an unregistered house church, was suddenly released. During his 266-day imprisonment, the international community offered Pastor Jin steadfast support, ultimately helping secure his release.

I am writing this article with an urgent hope for another miracle. My father—Pastor Gao Quanfu of Light of Zion Church—and my mother, Pang Yu, remain imprisoned. My father faces 12 to 13 years in prison based on false fraud charges. As their trial approaches, I can only hope that the international community will support their cause in the same way.

For my parents, faith and service are a calling. My father became a Christian at the age of 28, at a time when public religious activity was almost nonexistent in China. He has served as a pastor for 40 years: guiding the next generation of religious leaders, carrying out ministry, and supporting the families of congregants. He is also a talented musician who plays an instrument called the suona. My mother was once a successful actress, television anchor, and producer. They fell in love at first sight and looked forward to a bright future for their family and community.

In 2025, my parents paid a heavy price for their faith. On May 16, authorities in Xi'an arrested Pastor Gao and 11 other members of Light of Zion Church. At first, my father was charged with “using superstition to undermine the implementation of the law.” The charge was later changed; he now faces a “fraud” charge for accepting voluntary offerings from congregants. Three weeks after my father was arrested, my mother was detained simply because she is Pastor Gao Quanfu's wife.

My parents' experience reflects China's broader crackdown on unregistered house churches. Light of Zion Church and other similar entities have aroused Beijing's concern by refusing to submit to state surveillance and various restrictions, including control over the content of sermons. Although some practitioners have since been released, my parents, Pastor Tang Bingyi of Light of Zion Church, and eight members of Pastor Jin's church, Zion Church, remain imprisoned.

My father has consistently maintained that Christian churches should respect the governing authorities, but he firmly believes that churches must retain their autonomy in worship, doctrine, and church governance, as well as their adherence to the Bible. Although his church has faced increasingly intense surveillance and pressure, the congregation has continued to respond peacefully—replacing hostility with prayer and fear with faith.

My parents are enduring unimaginable suffering. They are suffering in severely overcrowded conditions, with more than a dozen detainees held in a single cell. They are not allowed to contact family members or receive visitors. The authorities closely monitor their meetings with legal counsel, severely affecting their ability to communicate freely with their lawyers.

My parents are both nearing 70, and both have serious health problems. Yet they receive inadequate nutrition, and their medical needs are not being treated. I am terrified of what may happen next.

After more than a year in detention, my parents' case is now being tried—the potential outcome is chilling. At my father's pretrial hearing on August 10, we learned that he could be sentenced to 12 or 13 years in prison. We anxiously await my mother's pretrial hearing and potential sentence. Without a groundswell of international support, I fear that my parents will spend the rest of their lives in prison.

I solemnly and urgently appeal to the governments and policymakers of every country to stand with my parents and express their solidarity. To the diplomatic missions in China: please attend their trial in Xi'an, China. The visible presence and participation of foreign diplomats will send a signal that their countries stand for freedom of faith and religion. This will send a message to Beijing: the world has not forgotten Gao Quanfu, Pang Yu, and the other Christians detained by China.

I cannot be there in person, so I implore everyone who is able to attend to do so. Bear witness and remind my parents that they are not alone.

My parents devoted their entire lives to me and to their congregation. Now, they are elderly and afflicted by illness and need my help, but I cannot do this alone. I respectfully ask the international community to stand with me—to fight for the freedom of Pastor Gao Quanfu, Pang Yu, and all peaceful Christians imprisoned in China.

I am proud to be my parents' son. I hope that one day in the near future I will be reunited with them and hear my parents playing music and singing together again. Even if it takes a miracle—whether political or ordained—I will never stop until my parents regain their freedom.

Gao Pu

Note: Gao Pu is the son of Pastor Gao Quanfu, the founder and leader of Light of Zion Church in Xi'an, China, and his wife, Pang Yu. His parents have been detained in China since May and June 2025. Gao Pu holds master's degrees in finance and financial engineering and worked in the financial sector before devoting himself full-time to campaigning for his parents' freedom.