A Beijing house church leader was released Sept.10 after spending three years in prison for distributing Bibles, according to China Aid Association (CAA).

Cai Zhuohua's mother said he was in good spirits when released, but he was not allowed to have or read a Bible in the last three years. While in prison, Zhuohua was forced to make soccer balls 10-12 hours a day for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, CAA said.

Zhuohua was arrested Sept.11, 2004, after Chinese authorities found more than 200,000 pieces of printed Christian literature, including Bibles in a storage room managed by the pastor. In China, only the Chinese government sanctioned church is allowed to print and distribute Bibles, CAA said.

In November 2005, Zhuohua was sentenced to three years in jail for his "illegal business practices" and fined the equivalent of $18,500. His wife, Xiao Yunfei, was sentenced to two years and her brother, Xiao Gaowen, was given an 18-month sentence.

After his release Sept.10, Zhuohua was warned by authorities to stop practicing his faith outside of the government-sanctioned church, according to his mother, who is also a house church leader.

"Since the pastor has already served an unjustified three years sentence, to continue to restrict his freedom of movement is a violation of Chinese own law," said Bob Fu, president of CAA and a former co-worker of Zhuohua.

Zhou Heng, another house church leader in Xinjiang, was arrested Aug. 31 for receiving three tons of Bibles, CAA said.