(Chengdu, China — January 6, 2026) The Early Rain Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church (秋雨圣约归正长老教会) in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, stated on Monday that local police had intervened earlier that morning in its home-education program for believers’ children, known as the “Early Rain Academy.” The church subsequently organized the evacuation of teachers and students from the teaching site. At the same time, multiple church members were reportedly subjected to home visits, movement restrictions, or taken away, with the specific reasons remaining unclear.
According to the church’s notice, at around 9:00 a.m. on January 6, officers from the local police station arrived at one of the Early Rain Academy’s teaching locations. To avoid further escalation, the academy immediately dispersed teachers and students and left the site. The church also reported that later that day, unidentified individuals were seen staking out the residence of Elder Yan Hong (晏鸿).
The church further stated that at around 10:00 a.m., Elder Li Yingqiang (李英强) was taken under control at his home by personnel from relevant departments and subsequently lost contact. His wife, Zhang Xinyue (张新月), and their two children were also unreachable at the moment. According to informed sources, Xinyue’s mother went to her residence after being unable to contact her daughter and grandchildren, only to find multiple police officers guarding the entrance. Police did not allow her to enter and informed her that she would not be able to see her family that day. Officers said they were carrying out official duties and asked her to leave. It was reportedly stated that Zhang Xinyue and the children “might return tomorrow,” while Li Yingqiang’s situation was described as “uncertain.”
In addition, the church reported that several members were subjected to varying degrees of movement restriction or were unreachable. Deacon Zeng Qingtao (曾庆涛) was first explicitly told not to leave his residential compound, and personnel were posted outside on guard; he has now been confirmed as having been taken away. Preacher Dai Zhichao (戴志超) was notified on January 5 not to leave his residential area, lost contact after 11:00 a.m. on January 6, and has now been confirmed as taken away. Elder Yan Hong and Preacher Wu Wuqing (吴五清) were also taken away. Brother Ye Fenghua’s (叶丰华) family and Deacon Jia Xuewei (贾学伟) were likewise reported unreachable. It was also reported that Brother Pan Fei (潘飞) was notified by management at his workplace that his movements were under close surveillance.
At the time of publication, local authorities had not publicly explained the legal basis or purpose of the above measures. The church stated that it was still trying to contact the affected members.
The Early Rain Covenant Church has faced ongoing religious persecution by the authorities, reaching a peak in December 2018. At that time, more than 100 church members, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong, were arrested by Chengdu police; church property was sealed, the church was declared illegal, and members continued to face repeated police harassment. In December 2019, Wang Yi was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.”
Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid
