(Chengdu — January 12, 2026) Since early January, multiple members and coworkers of the Early Rain Covenant Church, a Protestant house church in Chengdu, a city in southwest China, have been taken away by police, subjected to administrative detention, or had their personal freedom restricted. Families and lawyers say that in most cases the authorities have not presented formal legal documents to the families, and that the specific charges and detention locations remain unclear.
According to the church, a seminarian named Song Haibing (宋海兵) became unreachable on January 8. Family members later confirmed that Song had been taken away by police of Liangshan and placed under administrative detention for ten days. His work mobile phone and computer were confiscated by police. Song’s wife currently lives in Dujiangyan and has not yet joined the church. People familiar with the situation say she is bearing immense psychological pressure alone as a result of the sudden turn of events.
On the morning of January 11, church member Shu Qiong (舒琼) was summoned and taken away by officers from the Chunxi Road Police Station in Chengdu while she was out. The reasons given by police included that the day was a Sunday and that a photo of a previous police summons notice had been uploaded to an overseas website. Shu Qiong returned home that afternoon and was not further detained.
That same Sunday, several church members were found to be under surveillance and restricted from leaving their homes. Some community workers later visited or called the relevant households, stating that they had received instructions to “verify their whereabouts daily” going forward.
In addition, church member Chen Yunfei (陈云飞) was physically assaulted in his residential area on January 8. His family said Chen had previously been warned not to speak out on the overseas social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and was subsequently beaten by individuals of unknown identity under the pretext of a dispute. He required four stitches above his eyebrow and suffered bleeding and swelling around the eye. His family stated that Chen did not resist during the attack.
The family of church elder Li Yingqiang (李英强) has also been affected. Housing previously occupied by his parents-in-law was reclaimed by their former work unit, which required them to move out. They have since moved into Li Yingqiang’s home and are now living there with his two children.
Lawyers’ Access Restricted
The church stated that since the January 6 incident, a legal team has attempted to intervene, but due to law enforcement authorities’ failure to disclose case information, investigation and legal assistance efforts have been limited.
As of now, information compiled by the church indicates:
- Li Yingqiang/李英强 (Elder): His family has not received any legal documents; his place of detention and legal status are unknown.
- Zhang Xinyue/张新月 (Li Yingqiang’s wife): The family has not received legal documents and it is unclear whether she has been detained or placed under residential surveillance at a desginated location; her children are temporarily being cared for by their grandmother.
- Dai Zhichao/戴志超 (Preacher): Confirmed to be detained at Deyang City Detention Center; a lawyer has intervened, but the family has not received formal legal documents.
- Ye Fenghua/叶丰华 (Church Member): The family has not received legal documents; place or status of detention is unknown.
- Jia Xuewei/贾学伟 (Deputy Deacon): Currently still unreachable; relevant information cannot be confirmed.
- Lin/林某 (full name withheld) (Church Member): Confirmed to be detained at Zhongjiang Detention Center in Deyang; the family has not received legal documents.
At the time of publication, the relevant authorities have not issued any public response to the above situations.
The Early Rain Covenant Church stated that some members are still being taken away, are out of contact, or are under various forms of surveillance. The affected families, especially spouses and minor children, are enduring ongoing psychological and practical pressures.
A Familiar Pattern, and the Signals It Sends
In China, house churches have long existed on the margins of the law. When religious groups are perceived as having organizational mobilization capacity, cross-regional connections, or a willingness to engage in public expression, law enforcement logic often shifts from “managing religious affairs” to “stability maintenance and security.”
One notable detail is the blurred boundary between formal law enforcement and informal forces. From discouraging speech on social media, to “daily checks” at the community level, to a violent assault occurring in a residential area, these actions have not been carried out through clear legal procedures, yet in practice, they have achieved the effect of restricting expression and movement.
For those involved, the impact extends beyond personal freedom. Housing, childcare, and the psychological and economic situations of spouses all become extensions of the incidents. Such “family-wide consequences” have become increasingly common in recent years in cases involving folk religion, rights defense, or public issues.
At present, it remains difficult for observers to judge whether these measures will further escalate. What is clear, however, is that this series of actions once again demonstrates that, in China, the boundaries of Christian space are not determined solely by explicit legal provisions but are continually tightened or reshaped in response to changes in the political and social environment and officials’ will.
Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid
