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Nine detained as police target Chengdu church
Police in the central Chinese city of Chengdu detained nine members of the Early Rain Covenant Church on Tuesday, raiding homes and the church office, the congregation reported. Five were released by Wednesday, but four remain in custody, including the church's current leader, Li Yingqiang, and his wife, Zhang Xinyue.
The church described the operation as coordinated but said it had not received official charges or reasons for the detentions. Contact with two additional members was lost, though their status remains unconfirmed.
"The situation is ongoing, with specific details yet to be fully confirmed,"
Early Rain Covenant Church statement
Wenzhou church demolition signals escalation
More than 1,600 kilometers east of Chengdu, authorities in Wenzhou began tearing down the Yayang Church building this week. Video obtained by the nonprofit ChinaAid showed bulldozers and cranes at the site, guarded by hundreds of armed police officers.
Residents near the church were ordered to leave, and workers in the area were instructed not to photograph or record the demolition, according to ChinaAid. Wenzhou, often called "the Jerusalem of China," has one of the country's largest Christian populations.
Pattern of repression deepens
Christian groups say the latest arrests and demolition reflect a broader campaign to eliminate churches that refuse to align with state ideology. In December, police detained about 100 Yayang Church members over five days; 24 remain in custody, Human Rights Watch reported.
In October, authorities rounded up 30 leaders of Zion Church, one of China's largest underground congregations, across seven cities. Founder Ezra Jin remains detained.
Early Rain Covenant Church, established in 2008, has faced repeated targeting. In 2018, police arrested founding pastor Wang Yi and his wife, Jiang Rong, along with at least 100 members. Wang, a vocal critic of the Communist Party's religious policies, was sentenced to nine years in prison for "inciting subversion of state power" and "illegal business operations." He is scheduled for release in 2027.
Government tightens control over religion
China's government, which promotes atheism, has long pressured Christians to join only state-sanctioned churches led by government-approved pastors. Under President Xi Jinping, controls have intensified. Since 2015, Xi has pushed for the "Sinicisation of religions," requiring religious practices to conform to Chinese culture and Communist Party values.
Last year, authorities banned clergy from preaching live on social media, organizing online activities for children, or raising funds online unless using government-approved platforms. Christian leaders say arrests are now faster and more frequent, with fewer warnings or fines before detention.
"Xi Jinping's government has tightened ideological control and intensified its intolerance of loyalties beyond the Chinese Communist Party."
Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch
Churches vow to persist despite crackdown
Early Rain Covenant Church continues to gather online, sometimes replaying recorded sermons by Wang Yi. In a November letter to members, Li Yingqiang warned of an impending "storm" and urged preparation.
"I dearly hope that none of our families shall ever again endure such a storm. Yet as an elder appointed by the Lord to stand among you... it is my duty to remind you all to prepare yourselves before the storm returns."
Li Yingqiang, Early Rain Covenant Church leader
The BBC has sought comment from China's embassy in the UK but has not received a response regarding the arrests or the demolition in Wenzhou.
