Shanghai Church Leader Detained by Police Following Sunday Raid

Sunday Raid Leads to Shanghai Detention

Dozens Detained in Sichuan Province

A similar raid struck the Early Rain Covenant Church in Jiangyou, a city in Sichuan province about 100 miles north of Chengdu, according to congregation members cited by Newsweek. Dozens of police officers cut short a Sunday morning worship service, deploying a force numbering between 60 and 70 personnel from multiple agencies, including local police, Religious Affairs Bureau officials, and state security officers.

Videos shared on the church’s Telegram channel showed officers surrounding and berating a congregation that including young children while members sang a hymn in quiet defiance. Thirty-one people were taken away in groups to a detention center for questioning, where officials attempted to pressure them into signing unread documents. Most congregants refused and were released by 11 p.m., though two church elders, Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing, remained in custody.

Families Denied Legal Notices

Family members who sought information at the detention center were told Yan and Wu had been sentenced to administrative terms of 14 and 15 days, respectively, according to sources familiar with the matter. Bob Fu, founder of the Midland, Texas-based nonprofit ChinaAid, told Newsweek that families had not been presented with legal notices stating the formal charges, noting that such omissions are common during police raids.

Beijing Defends State Controls

While the Chinese General Social Survey conducted by Renmin University indicates that roughly 1 to 2 percent of Chinese adults identify as Christian, Beijing maintains stringent controls over organized faith groups. Public worship outside state-approved venues is banned, and places of worship must register with authorities. Registered religious groups face extensive oversight regarding teaching, publishing, and online activities.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry defended the country’s religious policies during a Monday briefing. The Chinese government manages religious affairs in accordance with the law and protects people’s freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, as reported by Newsweek. We firmly oppose interference in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of so-called religious issues.

Xi Jinping Push to Sinicize Religion

Independent Christian congregations face ongoing pressure under a campaign led by President Xi Jinping to Sinicize religion by subordinating church doctrine to the Chinese Communist Party. Early Rain Covenant Church has been repeatedly targeted since a December 2018 crackdown that resulted in the detention of founding pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 congregants. Wang was subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison on charges including inciting subversion of state power after refusing to register the church with the state.

Additional raids continue to target unregistered networks. According to ChinaAid, several pastors, deacons, and church members were detained in coordinated police operations across Chengdu and Deyang on January 6, following a late-year crackdown on a nationwide network of house churches known as Zion Church.