Chinese Police Raid Early Rain Covenant Church During Sunday Worship
CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, China — Authorities in southwestern China launched a large-scale raid against Early Rain Covenant Church during its Sunday worship service on June 14, detaining dozens of believers, according to reports received by ChinaAid and a subsequent church statement.
The church’s worship service, which included families and children, was being held in a hotel conference room in Jiangyou City, about 100 miles northeast of Chengdu, when it was raided at approximately 11 a.m. local time.
According to a statement released by ERCC leaders, 60 to 70 government personnel — including police officers, SWAT personnel, Domestic Security Protection Unit officers, religious affairs officials, and local government representatives — “stormed the venue and forcibly took control of the gathering.”
Church leaders said 33 believers were detained during the operation, including two elders, Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing. According to the church, detainees were transported to a centralized registration and detention facility in Jiangyou after authorities collected personal identification information from attendees.
The church said believers were held for hours while authorities conducted registrations and questioning. According to the statement, some attendees were pressured to sign a “guarantee letter” before being released, though officials allegedly refused to disclose the document’s contents unless individuals first agreed to sign it. Most church members declined and remained at the site until authorities allowed them to leave after the second round of personal identification information collection that began at 6 p.m.
According to the church, all detainees were released between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday after being questioned . As of Monday morning, Elders Wu Wuqing and Yan Hong were sentenced to 15 and 14 days administrative detention respectively, while the other believers returned to Chengdu.
ChinaAid said the operation represents the latest escalation in a years-long campaign against one of China’s best-known Protestant house churches. “This raid is another stark reminder that the Chinese Communist Party continues to treat peaceful Christian worship as a threat to state control,” said Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid.
Continuing pressure on Early Rain Covenant Church
Early Rain Covenant Church is one of China’s most prominent independent Protestant house churches and has faced sustained government pressure since authorities launched a sweeping crackdown against the congregation in December 2018.
The church’s founding pastor, Wang Yi, was sentenced in December 2019 to nine years in prison on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations” after criticizing restrictions on religious freedom and refusing to join state-controlled religious organizations.
Since Wang’s imprisonment, church members have continued meeting despite repeated detentions, surveillance, evictions, and disruptions by authorities.
The latest raid follows previous operations targeting Early Rain members and leaders, underscoring what advocates describe as an ongoing effort to dismantle the church’s ministry and discourage participation in independent Christian congregations.
Condemning the raid
Texas-based nonprofit group ChinaAid condemned the operation and called on Chinese authorities to immediately release all detained believers.
“The detention of church leaders, ordinary believers, and even children for participating in a Sunday worship service is a grave violation of religious freedom and fundamental human rights,” Fu said. “We call on the international community, democratic governments, and all people of conscience to speak out and demand the immediate release of those detained.”
ChinaAid urged Christians around the world to pray for the safety and protection of detained believers, the well-being of the children affected by the raid, and strength and peace for families awaiting news of their loved ones.
The organization also called for prayer for the continued faithfulness and unity of Early Rain Covenant Church, as well as for greater religious freedom throughout China.
This article was originally published by ChinaNews.
Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.