In Jiangyou, a city in China’s southwestern Sichuan province, police stormed the Early Rain Covenant Church’s worship space at 11:00 local time, detaining two pastors—Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing—and gathering more than 30 congregation members, including children, for questioning.
The Early Rain Covenant, founded in 2008 in Chengdu, has long drawn scrutiny from the Communist Party for operating outside state-sanctioned Christian bodies. Its founding pastor, Wang Yi, was imprisoned in December 2018 on accusations of “inciting subversion” and “illegal business operations,” serving a nine‑year sentence.
During the raid, officials attempted to coerce attendees into signing an affidavit in exchange for release, a document whose contents were never disclosed. Congregants declined; most were released by 18:00, while the two pastors were taken away for further interrogation.
Eyewitness footage, circulated via the church’s Telegram channel, shows SWAT teams—often numbering more than 50—rounding up members in a hotel ballroom. The footage captures both the tense moments when attendants were forced into a police line, and the solemn scene of congregants singing hymns while awaiting their fate.
The church’s statement notes that “identities were verified” and that a handful of members, mainly women and elderly, were later “locked up in the ballroom.” Many of the detained congregants were released between 21:00 and 23:00 on the same day.
Bruce Fu, founder of ChinaAid and human‑rights monitor, remarked, “This raid is another stark reminder that the Communist Party still regards peaceful Christian worship as a threat to state control.”
Over the past year, similar crackdowns have intensified. In October, 30 leaders of the Zion Church, a prominent underground congregation, were rounded up across seven cities. The Zion founder, Ezra Jin, remains in custody.
The incident underscores a broader pattern. In 2018, the government estimated 44 million Christians nationwide, a figure that likely excludes participants in underground church networks. The Party increasingly promotes state‑approved churches to minimise unbridled religious expression.
Readers can learn more about recent detentions of underground pastors here.
