* China Detains Nine Underground Church Members
Chinese authorities arrested nine Christians this week and surrounded another church with armed police, prompting members to flee. The crackdown targets the country’s underground church movement.
Prominent leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Sichuan province were arrested tuesday. Li yingqiang, the church’s leader, was among those taken into custody. Police also raided his home and the church office.
China aid, a persecution watchdog group, reports several church elders, preachers, deacons, and family members were detained and remain unreachable. Five were released Wednesday, but Yingqiang, ye Fenghua, Elder Yan Hong, Preacher Wu Wuqing, and Deacon Zeng Qingtao are still in police custody as of today.
Deacon Jia Xuewei and Preacher Dai Zhichao are currently under house arrest.
Early Rain Covenant Church, established in 2008, has grown to approximately 500 members and is one of the larger house churches in China.This isn’t the first time the church has faced government suppression. In 2018, founder Wang Yi and over 100 pastors were detained, according to Reuters. Yi later received a nine-year prison sentence on subversion charges.
church members described this week’s arrests as “a coordinated action targeting its organizational structure and core members.” They shared a message referencing 1 Peter 4:12-14, which reads: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you… rejoice insofar as you share christ’s sufferings.”
In a separate incident, authorities in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, began demolishing the Yayang Christian Church, located approximately 1,000 miles from Sichuan.
china Aid provides further details on the arrests.