Key facts
- Two leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church, Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing, were detained.
- Over 30 congregants, including children, were rounded up for interrogation during Sunday service.
- The incident occurred in Jiangyou, a city in China.
- Chinese authorities have not yet commented on the detentions.
- The church stated that congregants refused to sign an affidavit for their release.
Two leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church, an influential underground Protestant church in China, were detained after authorities rounded up more than 30 congregants, including children, for interrogation during a Sunday service. The incident occurred in the city of Jiangyou.
According to a statement from the church posted on Telegram, armed police officers stormed the service midway through. The church stated that at least 50 police officers were present during the raid. While most congregants were released between Sunday evening and late night, the grounds for the detentions of leaders Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing remain unclear.
Chinese authorities have not yet responded to the church's statement. Photographs and videos shared by the church showed congregants surrounded by SWAT officers. Some members estimated that at least 50 police officers were present during the raid, which began at 11:00 local time. The church reported that officers attempted to have those in the ballroom sign an affidavit in exchange for release, but the congregants refused.
Founded in 2008, the Early Rain Covenant Church has been monitored by the Chinese Communist Party due to the country's tight control over religion. Its founding pastor, Wang Yi, was detained in December 2018 and is currently serving a nine-year sentence for "inciting subversion of state power" and "illegal business operations."
Bob Fu, founder of the non-profit ChinaAid, which monitors religious persecution, stated that the raid is a "stark reminder that the Chinese Communist Party continues to treat peaceful Christian worship as a threat to state control." In October of the previous year, 30 leaders from Zion Church, another major underground church in China, were detained across seven cities, with its founder Ezra Jin still in custody.