Landlord terminates rental contract of three Christians attending Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church, and with police, forces them to move

Members of Autumn Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu.
(Photo: ChinaAid)

(Chengdu, Sichuan—Dec. 17, 2020) On November 11, the landlord of Baer Apartments evicted Pan Fei, Hao Guiru, and Cheng Xiangxi, three members of a Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC). Although the three Christians had signed a rental contract only two weeks earlier, the landlord abruptly terminated the lease agreement and, with police assistance, forced the three tenants to move.

Although Mr. Pan, Mr. Hao, and Mr. Cheng repeatedly tried to negotiate with their landlord, he continued to claim the contract was invalid. “You must move,” he insisted. When one of the renters phoned the police for help, instead of helping the three retain their right to remain in the apartment, officers demanded that the Chengdu ERCC members move immediately.

December 9 marked the second anniversary of Chengdu authorities initiating a series of raids on Chengdu Early Rain Church. Police searched the homes of church members and arrested Pastor Wang Yi, Elder Qin Defu, and more than 100 seminary students, church members, and leaders. Pastor Wang, serving seven years, and Elder Qin, serving four years, remain in prison.

On January 31, 2019, their employer at Yonghui supermarket fired Mr. Pan and Mr. Hao for refusing to abandon their Christian belief and stop attending Chengdu ERCC. On March 4, 2019, officers summoned Mr. Pan to the police station for questioning. Authorities released him on bail April 11, 2019, and sent him back to his hometown. After a Pingchang County security agent filed a false charge against Mr. Cheng, police detained him for 15 days. Incidents of harassment and persecution of Chengdu ERCC members continue today—with even more being evicted from their homes.

Some landlords in Chengdu recognize that police enforce illegal evictions. When they refuse to cooperate with police to evict Chengdu ERCC Christians, however, local security agents typically order an apartment’s property manager to turn off the electricity, water, and natural gas. 

As authorities increasingly target and persecute members of this Chengdu ERCC and other Christians throughout China, moving them from their homes and places of worship, they cannot, however, evict them from their faith.

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For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, 
nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, 
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
                                                                 ~ Romans 8:38-39

China Aid exposes abuses in order to stand in solidarity with the persecuted and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law. If you wish to partner with us in helping those persecuted by the Chinese government, please click the button below to make a charitable donation.


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Landlord terminates rental contract of three Christians attending Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church, and with police, forces them to move

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