(Chengdu — April 28, 2026) The survival environment for Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church continues to deteriorate. On the afternoon of April 27 (Beijing time), preacher Wu Wuqing (吴五清) was summoned by police and temporarily lost contact. The latest information indicates that Wu Wuqing and his wife have both been released and returned home, though their mobile phones have been confiscated by police.
This marks the latest development in the church’s seven years of sustained high-pressure control since the “December 9” case in 2018.
At around 2:00 p.m. on April 27, Wu Wuqing was taken to Yongning Police Station in Wenjiang District. He and his wife, Xiong Meifang (熊梅芳), have now both been released.
On January 6, 2026, authorities launched a new round of large-scale arrests. Elder Li Yingqiang (李英强), preacher Dai Zhichao (戴志超), deacon Jia Xuewei (贾学伟), and church member Ye Fenghua (叶丰华) have now been detained for over 100 days. Police have refused lawyer visits on the grounds that the case involves “inciting subversion of state power.” Zhang Xinyue (张新月), wife of Li Yingqiang, and Song Haibing (宋海兵), who were previously briefly detained, have since been released.
Over the past week, some church members have been forced to relocate, and a gathering two days ago was also dispersed.
Since the arrest and sentencing of lead pastor Wang Yi (王怡) in 2018, Early Rain Covenant Church has remained under strict surveillance. Despite the confiscation of its main venue and repeated detentions of its members, the church continues to conduct worship and prayer through a combination of in-person and online gatherings. Observers note that authorities are currently employing a “divide and dismantle” strategy, using tactics such as threatening family members and intimidating seekers in an attempt to cut off the church’s resources. However, such high-pressure measures have not succeeded in fully dismantling the faith community.
As one member of the church put it, the seeds of faith cannot be extinguished by coercive policies. While authorities may attempt to uproot one “Early Rain,” they cannot prevent countless “spring rains” from emerging in the soil of belief.
