The church was demolished and the leader sentenced twice: Yang Ying Li, 68, is still in prison, and the Golden Lantern Church has been in constant detention for more than 10 years.

Sixty-eight-year-old Yang Yingli is serving her sentence in Taiwon Prison No.

1. She is one of the heads of the family church at Shanxi's Golden Lantern. In 2025, the District Court of Pyoyodu, Pyiang City, sentenced her to 15 years ' imprisonment, a fine of $500,000 and a second sentence upheld. On 3 October, she spent her 68th birthday in prison.

This 15-year term is not the first time that the Golden Lantern Church has met with the State forces. In 2009, Yeung-ryi was sentenced to seven years after law enforcement against the Church; Since then, several places have been inspected; The large church of the Golden Lantern was forcibly demolished by the local authorities in 2018; In 2021, members of the Yang Young-ryong and Wang Xiaogang church were arrested again; In 2025, funds related to church dedication were brought to trial for fraud and Young-li was again sentenced to long prison terms.

The United States International Commission on Religious Freedom (USCIRF) included Young-Yo Yong-yung in the information on religious prisoners of conscience and linked her treatment to religious activities, religious leaders ' identity and unregistered religious activities. The USCIRF has recorded that the Golden Lantern Church refuses to join the State-controlled Christian “Thirt”. Following Yang Ying Ryo ' s experience for more than 10 years, it is possible to see how the system of religious administration led by the Communist Party of China extends from registration to meeting space, church buildings, financial activities and the personal freedom of religious leaders.

"Three from": Religious governance is carried out by the party system

The religious administration of China is not a purely administrative registration system separate from the CCP system. In 2018, following the deepening of the Party and the reform of State institutions, the State Religious Service was integrated into the Central Command of War, which administered religious work; The National Directorate of Religious Affairs continues to maintain its brand. The registration of religious groups, places of activity, teaching staff and religious activities are regulated by the Religious Affairs Ordinance and other systems.

There are officially recognized organizational structures in the Christian sphere, such as the San Patriotic Movement, and many family churches have chosen not to join in organizing gatherings, sermons and dedications in an independent manner. The Golden Lantern Church is an unregistered family church. The USCIRF recorded that the Church was targeted by the authorities for refusing to join the tri-symphony system controlled by the State.

For the gold lamp, the system of religious administration does not remain in the registration process. After the 2009 law enforcement action against the Church, Yang was sentenced to seven years ' imprisonment and his husband, Wang Xiaogang, to three years ' imprisonment. The Religious Freedom Organization has recorded the closure of several church-related local meeting places since then. Young-Yo's continued involvement in church activities after serving her sentence.

2018: Golden Lantern Large Church forcibly demolished

In January 2018, the large church of the Golden Lantern Church in Shanxi was forcibly demolished by the local authorities. Media such as Radio Free Asia reported and documented the demolition site; Public images show that mechanical equipment entered the site and the building was destroyed during the operation.

A large church was destroyed and the religious community was not allowed to disappear. Members of the church continue to operate, and the State disposition of this unregistered religious network has not been terminated. Three years later, Yang Yong-rying and other church members again lost their freedom.

Rearrest in 2021: Criminal prosecution into church dedication

In August 2021, Yang Young-rye, Wang Xiaogwang and several members of the Golden Lantern Church were taken away again. The detention and investigation that followed lasted for many years, and the cases were finally brought to trial for fraud. This time, criminal prosecution directly touched on church funds.

The religious freedom bodies, such as ChinaAid, have recorded that the funds included in the case involve the dedication and dedication of the Church and have questioned the voluntary dedication of believers as a fraud case. The District Court of Pyumu City, finally sentenced Yang to 15 years ' imprisonment and a fine of $500,000 for fraud.

The public availability of reports is not yet sufficient to complete the original judgement ' s full argument as to the amount involved, the specific victim, the fraudulent act and the purpose of illegal possession. The central fact that can be confirmed at this stage is therefore that the financial activities within the Kim Lantao Church were included in the criminal prosecution of fraud, and that Yang Yingli faced a second long prison term; The Religious Liberty Agency, for its part, has continued to ask why the dedication of believers to unregistered family churches has eventually become part of the fraud case.

From 7 to 15 years: two long-term imprisonments for a religious leader

After the end of the seven-year prison term in 2009, Young-Yo returned to the Kim Lantern Church; In 2018, the large building of her church was demolished; In 2021, she was arrested again; In 2025, 15 years ' imprisonment was set.

The USCIRF included Young-Yo Ying in the information on religious prisoners of conscience, linking their experiences to religious beliefs, religious activities, religious leaders ' identities and unregistered religious activities. These public events are scheduled in time, and State authority involvement in the Golden Lantern Church cuts across religious administration, the disposal of meeting spaces, the dismantling of entity churches and criminal justice.

The officials were deprived of their liberty, the places where the parties were held, the church buildings were destroyed, members were again arrested and the church was dedicated to criminal cases

• “unregistered” was never merely a state of administrative form for the gold lamp stand, but a reality that permeated the system of their existence for more than a decade.

68 years old, second long term is still not over

On 3 October, Young-li was on his 68th birthday in Taiwon Prison No.

1. She had served seven years of her sentence before facing another 15 years of sentence.

The Golden Lantern church was demolished in 2018 and Yang Yong Li is still in prison. The State action that has taken place in this family church for more than a decade has been left to very concrete physical consequences: loss of liberty, loss of meeting space, loss of churches and, again, long prison terms.

For Young-Yong-yung, 68 is not an abstract religious policy node. That was one of the second long sentences she served.