Police Disrupts Worship Service in Jiangyou, Two Church Elders Remain Detained

In Jiangyou, a city in the southwestern region of China, a church service was interrupted by police on Sunday morning. The Early Rain Covenant Church faced a raid conducted by dozens of officers, leaving two senior members in custody, as reported by churchgoers.

Videos on the church’s Telegram channel capture the raid at the Sichuan Province church, located approximately 100 miles north of Chengdu, the capital of the province. The Telegram account, managed by an individual seemingly outside China, highlighted eyewitness reports indicating the presence of 60 to 70 force members. The forces included officials from local police, the Religious Affairs Bureau, and state security.

The officers were seen surrounding and reprimanding the congregation during the raid. Despite this, church members, including children, quietly continued singing hymns. Authorities apprehended 31 people, taking them to a detention center for questioning. Reports suggest officials attempted to make detainees sign undisclosed documents, which most refused, as per the Telegram statement.

By 11 p.m., the majority of those detained were released, except for two elders, Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing, who remain in custody. Communication from Newsweek to China’s National Religious Affairs Administration for comment went unanswered.

“About 1 to 2 percent of Chinese adults identify as Christian, according to the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), a national survey conducted by Renmin University.”

While Christianity is not outlawed in China, religious activities face strict oversight. The government prohibits public worship outside authorized venues and mandates worship places to register with authorities. Religious groups encounter restrictions on teaching, publishing, and online activities.

On Monday, in response to criticisms, the Chinese Foreign Ministry defended its management of religious concerns. A spokesperson, Lin Jian, emphasized that the government regulates religious affairs under legal frameworks and opposes external interference in its internal matters.

The challenges facing independent Christian congregations in China have become evident, notably for the Early Rain Covenant Church. The church was subjected to a crackdown in December 2018, with its founder, Pastor Wang Yi, and over 100 congregants detained. Wang was sentenced to nine years in prison for charges including “inciting subversion of state power.” He had declined to register the church and opposed President Xi Jinping’s initiative to align religious practices with Communist Party doctrine.

The recent raid is the latest in a series of actions targeting unregistered churches. Among other operations, the Zion Church network of house churches experienced similar actions last year.