Illustration: CCP Police Vehicle (China Photos/Getty Images)
[People News] On Sunday, June 14, the Autumn Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, held an offline Sunday service in Jiangyou City, which was disrupted by local government authorities. The church issued a prayer request indicating that approximately 60 to 70 police and other government officials entered the venue to disperse the congregation, resulting in the arrest of 33 members, including Elder Yan Hong and Elder Wu Wuqing, who had not been released as of the morning of June 15.
According to Radio Free Asia, the incident occurred around 11 a.m. on June 14, when members of the Autumn Rain Covenant Church were worshipping in a hall in Jiangyou City and were suddenly surrounded and attacked by a large number of police. Footage from the scene showed uniformed police and religious bureau personnel rushing in, registering the identity card information of the attendees, and summoning buses and several police cars to transport the congregation members to the local police station one by one.
Mr Wang, a member of the Autumn Rain Covenant Church, informed Radio Free Asia on Monday (15th) that as of now, Elder Yan Hong and Elder Wu Wuqing had still not been released, and their families had not received any specific notifications. He stated, "Currently, Elder Yan Hong and Elder Wu Wuqing have not been released, and their families have not received specific notifications. However, based on the police's demeanour and verbal statements at the scene, it appears that the two may be subjected to administrative detention. These two elders were elected as church elders on the evening of June 13.
The prayer update released by the Autumn Rain Covenant Church indicates that those involved in the incident included personnel from the Political Security Bureau, police, special police, the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau, and grassroots staff from townships. The church reported that a total of 33 individuals were taken from the scene, including Elder Yan Hong, Elder Wu Wuqing, Brother Liu Yingxu, Brother Nie Bo, Brother Li Benli, and Brother A Xin, among others. Additionally, several young children were taken onto buses and police vehicles in succession.
Dozens of individuals were taken to the police station.
According to the church's prayer update, around 1 PM on June 14, individuals began to be taken away in groups. Church workers reported that a total of 33 people were taken. One brother was taken to the police station alone and was not returned to the hall until after 3 PM; the other 32 individuals were taken in batches onto several police buses, heading to the Jiangyou City centralised filing centre or detention centre.
Another church member, Mr Yang, mentioned that the remaining dozens of elderly church members, sisters, and some parents of children had been collectively detained in the hall since noon on Sunday. Officials on-site required church members to sign a statement or guarantee before they could leave, but they refused to disclose the specific content of the statement until the church members agreed to sign. Most church members remained in the hall without signing until after 6 PM, when they were gradually allowed to leave following a second detailed identity registration.
The prayer update states that around 7 PM, most church members and children boarded buses to return to Chengdu. Some church members went to the Jiangyou City detention centre with their children and waited outside the main gate. Between 9 PM and 11 PM, church members who were taken into the detention centre for questioning were gradually released, but Elder Yan Hong and Elder Wu Wuqing had still not been released.
Mr Yang, a member of the church, stated that the recent disruption of their gathering is linked to the Autumn Rain Covenant Church's long-standing commitment to the house church movement. He explained that the church members were simply holding a normal religious meeting, yet the authorities have consistently targeted unregistered house churches that do not belong to the official 'Three-Self' system: 'This is not the first time they have faced disruption. The Autumn Rain Covenant has been under scrutiny for years, with their gatherings, elder elections, training sessions, and communications all being regulated. Now, even their meetings in other locations are not spared, indicating that the control over house churches remains stringent.'
Long-term Suppression of the Autumn Rain Covenant
The Autumn Rain Covenant Church is one of the most notable urban house churches in China. In December 2018, the Chengdu police carried out a large-scale operation, arresting pastors and members of the Autumn Rain Covenant Church, with Pastor Wang Yi subsequently sentenced to nine years in prison for 'inciting subversion of state power' and 'illegal business operations.' Since then, the church has continued to experience surveillance, summonses, home visits for pressure, and disruptions to their gatherings.
The Chinese Communist Party has long mandated that Christian groups join the officially recognised 'Three-Self' system, managing religious activities through regulations on religious affairs, venue registration, and personnel documentation. Unregistered house churches are frequently suppressed or disrupted by local governments under the guise of 'illegal gatherings' and 'disturbing public order.'
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