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China Killed Another Christian Pastor
Due to multiple detentions, ongoing psychological torture and persecution by communist China, another Chinese pastor has died
Pastor Zhao Huaiguo, founder of Bethel Church, succumbed to relentless state oppression and psychological torment.
On September 5, 2025, Pastor Zhao Huaiguo, who founded Bethel Church in Cili County, Hunan, passed away suddenly in his early fifties. His death was not just a personal loss but the tragic result of years of systematic harassment, intimidation, and mental anguish imposed by government authorities.
Zhao was no ordinary religious leader. In 2007, he left Northeast China and established Bethel Church on the rural outskirts of Hunan, providing a spiritual sanctuary for elderly believers and others seeking religious freedom.
His firm stand against government control was not defiance for the sake of it, but a commitment to religious independence. That commitment came at a great cost.
The authorities waged a merciless campaign against him. In March 2019, nearly fifty government agents raided his church, destroyed property, removed religious symbols, and confiscated Bibles and hymn books. The church was forcibly closed, and congregants were pressured to move worship to state-controlled venues.
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On March 14, 2020, Zhao was arrested and accused of “inciting subversion of state power”—a politically charged charge. His so-called crime: using a VPN to access foreign media and sharing satirical poems criticizing the government’s handling of COVID-19. He was sentenced to one year and six months in harsh conditions at Cili County Detention Center.
Even after his release in September 2021, Zhao faced constant surveillance, home raids, and repeated detentions. In November 2024, he and his wife were held for ten days under accusations of attending “illegal online courses.” Authorities interrogated church members about donations, aiming to fracture the community.
Pastor Zhao did not die of natural causes. His death was the outcome of unyielding state repression designed to break his spirit, isolate his followers, and erase his work. The toll of imprisonment, surveillance, and public vilification was unbearable.
