Gao Quanfu (高全福) is the pastor of the Light of Zion Church (锡安之光教会), an unregistered Protestant house church in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. He is detained and facing criminal prosecution over the church’s collection of voluntary offerings.
Gao, 69, was taken by police from his home in Xi’an in May 2025. Reporting on the case says an initial accusation concerned “using superstitious activities to undermine the implementation of law”; prosecutors later pursued a fraud charge under Article 266 of China’s Criminal Law. The prosecution alleges that church offerings were obtained by fraud. Gao’s supporters dispute that characterization. The allegations have not resulted in a conviction, and they are not treated here as established facts.
His wife, Pang Yu (庞羽), and Pastor Tang Bingyi are also detained in the case. Reporting says Pang and other church leaders were detained in 2025. An indictment dated December 31, 2025 reportedly alleges 25.5 million yuan in offerings and seeks a prison term of twelve to thirteen years. Those figures are prosecution allegations reported through secondary sources.
The case has received international attention. In May 2026, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution urging the release of Gao Quanfu, Pang Yu and several other named detainees. As of September 2026, reporting reviewed for this profile described Gao as remaining in pretrial custody without a verdict.
Verification notes
Detention dates, charges and indictment details are drawn from religious-freedom monitors, press reporting and U.S. public records. The fraud allegations are not findings of guilt. Gao Quanfu’s Xi’an Light of Zion Church is distinct from the Beijing Zion Church led by Pastor Jin Mingri.
For source chronology and evidentiary limits, see the Gao Quanfu Media Archive.