A worship service at a church in Jiangyou, a city in southwestern China, ended early on Sunday due to a police raid. Several congregation members reported the incident. Videos on the church’s Telegram channel captured the raid at the Sichuan Province church, which lies approximately 100 miles north of Chengdu.
The Telegram account, managed by someone outside China, mentioned witness reports that 60 to 70 officers from various agencies participated. These agencies included local police, the Religious Affairs Bureau, and state security officers.
Early Rain Covenant Church
The officers were seen confronting the congregation, which included children, while members sang hymns quietly. Authorities detained 31 people, taking them to a detention center for questioning. Officials attempted to compel signatures on undisclosed documents, but most members resisted, according to the Telegram update.
By 11 p.m., most detainees were released. However, two church elders, Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing, remained in custody. News agencies reached out to China’s National Religious Affairs Administration for a comment, but no response was given.
According to the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), conducted by Renmin University, about 1 to 2 percent of Chinese adults identify as Christian. Although Christianity is not prohibited in China, the government enforces strict controls over religious gatherings. Public worship is illegal unless held at state-approved sites, and places of worship must register with government authorities.
Religious groups face many restrictions, including limits on teaching, publishing, and online activities. The Chinese government claims to manage religious affairs lawfully. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that China protects religious freedom and opposes foreign interference under the guise of religious issues.
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The Early Rain Covenant Church exemplifies the struggles faced by China’s unregistered Christian congregations amidst increasing crackdowns. The church was previously targeted in a significant crackdown in December 2018. During that event, founding pastor Wang Yi and over 100 members were detained. Wang eventually received a nine-year prison sentence for charges like “inciting subversion of state power.” He resisted registering the church with the government and opposed President Xi Jinping’s agenda to “Sinicize” religion by forcing churches to alter their practices to align with the Communist Party.
Sunday’s raid is part of broader actions targeting unregistered churches. This includes recent actions against the Zion Church, a nationwide network of house churches.