Pastor Wang Yi, who leads the Early Rain Covenant Church - one of China's most famous congregations - was sentenced to nine years in prison on Monday, after being found guilty of inciting to subvert state power.
The pastor, whose church is located in the southwestern city of Chengdu, was one of dozens of Christians arrested in December 2018.
The sentence handed down Monday is part of China's ongoing effort to crackdown on religious groups which have not received official recognition from the state, and which are seen as a threat to the authority of the Communist Party.