This archive preserves reporting on the detention of Sun Yongyao (孙永耀), pastor of the Funan County Christian Church in Anhui Province, following the demolition of the church in October 2019.
October 19, 2019 — ChinaAid
ChinaAid reported that the Funan County Christian Church, a government-sanctioned Three-Self congregation seating about 3,000 people, was demolished on October 18, 2019 during a worship service and that Pastor Sun Yongyao, church committee director Geng Yimin, and other committee members were criminally detained on October 19 on suspicion of “gathering a crowd to disturb social order.” The Chinese-language report identifies Sun as 牧师孙永耀 and Geng as 堂委会主任耿宜敏. URL: https://chinaaid.org/news/stories-by-issue/human-rights/stream-chinese-megachurch-demolished/
October 21, 2019 — The Christian Post
The Christian Post reported the demolition and detention, citing ChinaAid’s account that authorities had not produced legal papers authorizing the demolition. URL: https://www.christianpost.com/world/china-destroys-3000-seat-church-detains-pastors.html
October 22, 2019 — International Christian Concern
International Christian Concern reported that authorities had closed the church entrance under a construction-safety pretext from October 14–18 and that members knelt asking demolition crews to stop. It also reported the detention of Geng Yimin and Sun Yongyao on the same suspicion. URL: https://persecution.org/2019/10/22/three-self-church-in-anhui-demolished-church-leadership-detained/
October 2019 — Church Leaders
Church Leaders published a shorter report on the same incident drawing on ChinaAid’s reporting. URL: https://churchleaders.com/news/364533-pastors-arrested-chinese-christian-church-building-suddenly-destroyed-in-china.html
Evidence limits
No PRC official account, trial record, conviction, sentence, release notice, or later custody update was located. English-language reports sometimes call both Sun and Geng “pastors,” while ChinaAid’s Chinese text identifies Sun as pastor and Geng as church committee director; the Chinese-language role titles are used here.
Person profile: Sun Yongyao 孙永耀