Gong Shengliang

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Pastor Gong Shengliang (龚圣亮) is the founder and leader of the South China Church (SCC), an evangelical house-church fellowship with some 50,000 members across several provinces. In December 2001, he was convicted and sentenced to death under China's anti-cult legislation. Responding to intense international pressure, China dropped the religious charge and the death penalty and ordered a re-trial. Young women prisoners from the SCC were then savagely beaten, sexually molested and tortured with electric shock until they signed 'confessions' that Pastor Gong had raped them. They later recanted their 'confessions' and were sent to labour camps. However, Pastor Gong was convicted of multiple counts of rape and given a life sentence.

Pastor Gong has been greatly weakened physically by the torture he has suffered during interrogation, worsened further by the prison conditions and frequent mistreatment. Over several weeks in late May and early June 2003, he lapsed in and out of a coma and was bleeding internally. He nearly died from a savage beating in prison in June 2003. Intercessors around the world prayed for him. He lived, but his troubles have not ceased.

Chinese government tries to make him look like a true criminal using false testimonies and communist pastors from government-run official three self patriotic church like this one: According to a spokesperson from China's National Agency for Religious Affairs, as well as Paster Gao Ying from the China Christian Council, Gong Shengliang has incited followers to beat up people who refused to join his religious group, and has used sulfuric acid to disfigure disobedient followers. Moreover, he has told female followers that having sexual relations with him is necessary for Christian piety, and has raped 8 women as a result. Cao Shengjie, Vice President of the China Christian Council, has reportedly called Gong Shengliang's organization satanic, and has asked that such abominations be dealt with severely for the sake of Christians everywhere.

He was sentenced to death in 2001, but because of international pressure, the sentence was reduced to life. Some who testified against Gong later stated that they were tortured into doing so. Liu Xianzhi, a former leader in the South China Church, has sought asylum in the United States and gives extensive testimony on the details of Pastor Gong Shengliang's case. There are also reports that he has been beaten and mistreated in prison.