(Deyang, Sichuan — February 12, 2026) The persecution of Early Rain Covenant Church (秋雨圣约教会) has escalated again at the beginning of 2026. According to the church’s latest prayer request update released today, Elder Li Yingqiang (李英强) and Preacher Dai Zhichao (戴志超), who were taken away during the “January 6 mass arrest,” were formally arrested on February 12 on the serious charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” 

On January 6, 2026, Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church and relevant members were subjected to a large-scale law enforcement operation, with multiple core members detained. The latest developments are as follows:

Elder Li Yingqiang and Preacher Dai Zhichao who were formally arrested are currently being held at the Deyang Detention Center. Family members officially received the arrest notices from the police on February 12. Both are charged with “inciting subversion of state power.”

Though Brother Ye Fenghua (叶丰华) and Vice Deacon Jia Xuewei (贾学伟), have left the Deyang Detention Center, they have not regained their freedom as their status has been changed to “residential surveillance at a designated location.” Both are likewise charged with the crime of “inciting subversion of state power.”

Some of the members of Early Rain Covenant Church previously taken away have now returned home after being released on bail pending trial, including Brother Liang Zhongyuan/梁中原 (February 5), Sister Zhang Xinyue/张新月 (February 6), and Brother Lin/林弟兄 (February 6). Although they have left detention facilities, they remain under legal restrictions while on bail pending trial.

Sources indicate that secret police officer Wang Chao (王超) is believed to be a key figure in carrying out the persecution of the Early Rain Covenant church in recent years.

Since the “December 9 church case” in 2018, Early Rain Covenant Church has been under intense suppression by authorities. In December 2018, authorities sealed off the church’s meeting venues and arrested more than one hundred church members, including Pastor Wang Yi (王怡) and his wife. In 2019, Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges including “inciting subversion of state power.”

Authorities have nearly severed contact between him and his family, a clear violation of laws enacted in China. In recent years, there has been very little information available to the public about Wang Yi’s condition in prison.

Since then, church co-workers and members have long lived under the shadow of illegal detention, forced relocation, and surveillance.

Although China’s official religious policy requires religious groups to operate within officially approved frameworks, millions of Christians continue to practice their faith in unregistered house churches. These churches insist on the independence of their faith and refuse to submit to the government’s ideological control. Authorities often view them as potential threats to social stability and thus subject them to strict monitoring and targeted crackdowns. 

Observers note that the hostile posture shown by Chengdu and Deyang police in handling the Early Rain Covenant Church case reflects the high-pressure environment faced by house churches in the region. The Chinese government has become one of the few regimes in the world to carry out systematic oppression of Christians under the pretext of laws and regulations.

As of now, Deyang police have not released any official statement regarding the above detentions and surveillance measures. International religious freedom advocates urgently call on authorities to respect the constitutional right to freedom of religious belief, cease judicial persecution of peaceful believers, and immediately release all those whose freedoms are restricted. 

“8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8–11