This English version may have been machine-generated from the Chinese original and may not convey the original meaning accurately.
On the eve of its 20th-anniversary celebration, a gathering originally intended to celebrate the church’s founding suddenly turned into a large-scale law-enforcement operation.
On September 4, 2026, Beijing Jiaquan Church was making final preparations for its 20th-anniversary celebration, scheduled for the following day.
For a person, 20 years can be the journey from birth to adulthood; for a church, they represent a long and complex history.
Yet on the eve of the 20th-anniversary celebration, the preparations that should have been filled with anticipation suddenly came to a halt.
According to an open letter issued on September 28 by Choi Jin-young, a Korean Christian and the wife of the pastor of Beijing Jiaquan Church, at around 5:50 p.m. that day, approximately 50 believers were preparing for the next day’s celebration in a hotel conference room in Beijing when more than 100 police officers and plainclothes auxiliary police suddenly appeared and took control of those present.
Most of the participants were allowed to leave after registering their identity information, but seven church workers were taken away at the scene.
At the same time, Pastor Zhou Zixun, who was out visiting others, was also taken to a police station by state security officers.
Afterward, additional church workers were arrested.
According to currently available public information, Pastor Zhou Zixun (real name: Choi Hyeon-bong) and seven church workers—eight people in total—were criminally detained on suspicion of “fraud.”
An event originally intended to celebrate the church’s 20th anniversary was suddenly brought to an end.
⸻
一、从2006年到2026年：佳全教会走过20年
I. From 2006 to 2026: Jiaquan Church’s 20-year journey
Beijing Jiaquan Church was founded in 2006.
According to Choi Jin-young’s open letter, she married Pastor Zhou Zixun at the age of 25, and the two of them studied in the United States. After completing his seminary studies, Zhou Zixun returned to Beijing with his family at the end of 2005 and founded Jiaquan Church in 2006.
From 2006 to 2026—20 full years.
For Jiaquan Church, those 20 years have not been peaceful.
Public information shows that the church has faced multiple challenges in the past, including restrictions on its meeting locations.
Choi Jin-young herself was also affected by issues involving a family-reunification visa and has been unable to enter China for three years.
Despite this, the church has continued to operate.
Some people attend its gatherings, some take responsibility for church affairs, and others participate in visitation and other ministries.
Until September 4, 2026.
⸻
二、20周年庆典前夕，100多名警察进入现场
II. On the eve of the 20th-anniversary celebration, more than 100 police officers entered the venue
At around 5:50 p.m. on September 4, approximately 50 believers were preparing for the 20th-anniversary celebration scheduled for the following day in a hotel conference room.
Some were arranging the venue, some were preparing activities, and others were organizing related items.
Then, a large number of police officers and plainclothes auxiliary police entered the venue.
According to information made public by the church, more than 100 police officers and plainclothes auxiliary police were present.
Most of the believers were allowed to leave after their ID numbers, addresses, and telephone numbers were recorded; seven church workers were taken away at the scene.
At the same time, Pastor Zhou Zixun was taken to a police station by state security officers while visiting others.
Subsequently, some people were released, but additional church workers were arrested.
As of now, public information indicates that eight people have been criminally detained.
They are suspected of “fraud.”
It is important to clarify:
“Suspected of fraud” is an investigative allegation reflected in currently available public information; it does not mean that a court has already issued a guilty verdict.
The final facts of the case and any related criminal liability should be determined through further judicial proceedings.
⸻
三、8人被刑拘，背后是8个家庭
III. Eight people criminally detained—behind them are eight families
The impact of this incident does not stop with the people who were detained.
According to Choi Jin-young’s open letter, some of those detained suffer from chronic illnesses and were unable to bring the medications they needed when they were taken away.
This has also become one of the concerns of their families and the church.
At the same time, the families of those detained face tremendous uncertainty.
For children, it may mean suddenly discovering that:
Their father has not come home.
His phone cannot be reached normally.
There is no way to know when they will be able to see him again.
Spouses, parents, and other relatives likewise have to face a long wait.
This incident therefore involves not only the eight people who were criminally detained, but also their respective families.
⸻
四、一个值得追问的问题：为什么是“诈骗罪”？
IV. A question worth asking: Why “fraud”?
Currently available public information indicates that the eight people were criminally detained on suspicion of “fraud.”
However, based on the publicly reported account of what happened, the police took people away in large numbers during preparations for the church’s 20th-anniversary celebration.
This has made the specific facts and legal basis of the case a central focus of public attention.
Questions that need to be answered include:
- What specific facts constitute the alleged “fraud”?
- What specific conduct is involved?
- Are there clearly identified victims and financial losses?
- What specific responsibilities did each of the detained individuals bear?
- What evidence is there?
- At what stage of the criminal proceedings is the case?
- Can the detained individuals obtain lawyer visits and legal defense in accordance with the law?
These questions need to be answered through further open judicial proceedings and reliable information.
Before a court issues a final judgment, no one who has been criminally detained should be directly regarded as guilty.
⸻
五、20周年庆典没有如期成为庆典
V. The 20th anniversary did not become a celebration as planned
Originally, September 5, 2026, should have been the 20th anniversary of Jiaquan Church’s founding.
For a church that has existed for 20 years, this should have been an important moment to look back on its history, commemorate the past, and look toward the future.
But the day before the celebration, large numbers of police officers entered the preparation venue, and several church workers were taken away.
As a result, the event originally intended to celebrate the 20th anniversary underwent a fundamental change.
This is also the most striking aspect of the timing of the incident:
This was not a case in which one or two individuals were taken away at an ordinary gathering; rather, on the eve of the 20th-anniversary celebration, a large-scale law-enforcement operation directly interrupted the entire event.
⸻
六、教会可以被关闭，但人的尊严不应被关闭
VI. A church can be shut down, but human dignity should not be
The experience of Jiaquan Church once again raises a more fundamental question:
When a religious group is affected by a law-enforcement operation, how are the basic rights of those involved to be protected?
Regardless of a person’s religion, the church they attend, or the nature of their faith, one basic principle should be respected:
Being investigated does not mean being guilty, and being criminally detained does not mean that a court has already found someone guilty.
At the same time, cases involving personal liberty should be subject to legal procedures.
Whether detainees can promptly obtain the assistance of a lawyer, whether their families can lawfully obtain information about the case, whether their health can receive basic protection, and whether the case can undergo normal judicial review are all matters the public has reason to be concerned about.
⸻
七、不要让被拘押者成为一个个被遗忘的名字
VII. Do not let detainees become forgotten names
Pastor Zhou Zixun and the seven other church workers who were criminally detained now face a long and uncertain judicial process.
Their families are also waiting.
Waiting for news from lawyers.
Waiting for developments in the case.
Waiting to meet their loved ones.
Waiting for an outcome that can be confirmed.
To the outside world, this may be no more than a news item.
But for these families, it means that their lives have suddenly been changed.
When one person loses their freedom, it often means that the entire family loses its stability at the same time.
We therefore need to continue following the developments in this case.
Not to prejudge who is guilty or innocent, but to ensure that a case involving personal liberty is handled transparently, lawfully, and fairly.
⸻
八、20年之后，佳全教会仍然面对一个未知的未来
VIII. After 20 years, Jiaquan Church still faces an unknown future
From 2006 to 2026, Beijing Jiaquan Church has completed a 20-year journey.
During these 20 years, it has experienced restrictions on its meeting locations, as well as the various pressures faced by its members and their families.
And on the eve of its 20th anniversary, the church once again suffered a major blow.
Eight church members were criminally detained.
The 20th-anniversary celebration was consequently cast into shadow.
How the case will develop remains unknown.
But one thing is certain:
These eight people and their families should not be forgotten simply because the incident fades from view.
The progress of their case deserves continued attention.
Their lawful rights and interests should also be protected.
And the facts and legal basis of the case itself should be clarified gradually through open and transparent judicial proceedings.
⸻
结语：20年之后，仍然需要答案
Conclusion: After 20 years, answers are still needed
Beijing Jiaquan Church had been preparing to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding.
However, on the eve of the celebration, more than 100 police officers and plainclothes auxiliary police entered the venue, several people were taken away, and eight were ultimately criminally detained.
From a 20th-anniversary celebration to eight people being criminally detained, only a few hours passed.
Today, we cannot draw conclusions on behalf of the judicial process.
But we can continue to ask questions:
Why were they criminally detained?
What are the specific facts behind the alleged “fraud”?
How will the case develop?
Can the lawful rights and interests of the detainees be fully protected?
These questions need answers.
Twenty years can enable a church to endure through a long passage of time.
But 20 years of history should not be simply erased in a single operation.
For Pastor Zhou Zixun and the seven other people who were criminally detained, and for the eight families behind them, the outside world should continue to pay attention.
Let the facts speak, and let legal proceedings provide the answers.
And let every case involving personal liberty withstand the test of time and open proceedings.