Pastor Shi Enhao (55), a house church pastor and vice president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, was released from prison unexpectedly on Friday 20 January 2012. The legal basis for the early release is not yet known.

Some 48 members of Shouwang church were arrested on Sunday 1 January as they tried to meet outdoors for worship in Beijing.

Police brought the church members to at least six different police stations - three police stations in Haidian district, and three police stations in Changping district. At these police stations, other church members waited outside for them to be released. Thirty were released by 10pm while others were expected to be held overnight and released on the following day.

The organisation China Aid has released an interview conducted on 28 October with Senior Pastor Jin Tianming of Shouwang Church. The location of the interview was his apartment, where he is under house arrest.

Arrests continue at the outdoor worship site of Shouwang Church, the large Beijing house church that has been evicted from several premises due to government pressure.

"I am happy that you and others tried to arrange for my release, but in one way, I am happy that you failed... If you had been successful, there would be no church in that prison today."

House church pastor Zhang Rongliang (61), from Henan Province in central China, was released from Kaifeng prison on 31 August 2011 at the end of his sentence.

Christians from various house churches are suffering for their support of Shouwang Church, the large Beijing house church that has been forced to meet outdoors since government pressure led to its eviction.

Pastor Shi Enhao, the deputy chairman of the Chinese House Church Alliance, has been sentenced to two years of "re-education through labour," an extra-judicial punishment that is handed out by police and requires no trial or conviction of a crime.

It is often used for those who have committed minor criminal offenses or for dissidents and adherents of religious groups, such as house church Christians and Falun Gong practitioners.

There is no improvement in conditions for the members of Shouwang Church in Beijing. Detentions continue each Sunday as they seek to meet for worship, and leaders and pastoral staff remain under house arrest.