(Chengdu, Sichuan — January 6, 2026) On January 6, the Early Rain Covenant Church (秋雨圣约教会) in Chengdu and its members were subjected to a large-scale crackdown. According to information released by the church and verified by multiple sources, several church elders, preachers, deacons, and their family members were taken away or unreachable. The operation involved both Chengdu and Deyang and included multiple home searches.
As of the same evening, the whereabouts of some individuals had been preliminarily confirmed, while several others remained unreachable. The situation continues to develop.
Multiple Church Coworkers Taken Away
According to currently confirmed information, the following church members were taken away or placed under control on January 6 (listed in chronological order):
- Elder Li Yingqiang (李英强): On the morning of January 6, he was taken under control, and relevant authorities searched his home in Deyang. He subsequently became unreachable. His wife, Zhang Xinyue (张新月), and their two children have also not been reached at the moment. Police later informed the church that Li Yingqiang had been arrested; as of now, the family has not seen any formal legal documentation.
- Preacher Dai Zhichao (戴志超): He had previously been verbally notified that he was not permitted to leave his residential area. At around 11:00 a.m. on January 6, he was taken under control at the church office and then brought back to his residence for a search, after which he. That evening became unreachable. It was later confirmed that he was at the case-handling center in Jinniu District, Chengdu.
- The entire family of Brother Ye Fenghua (叶丰华): On the same day, his entire family was taken under control, and their home was searched. They are currently unreachable.
- Elder Yan Hong (晏鸿): Taken away at approximately 5:00 p.m. on January 6.
- Preacher Wu Wuqing (吴五清): Taken away at approximately 5:00 p.m. on January 6.
- Deacon Zeng Qingtao (曾庆涛): He had earlier been restricted from leaving his residential compound, with personnel keeping watch outside his home. At approximately 5:00 p.m. on January 6, he was taken away.
- In addition, Deacon Jia Xuewei (贾学伟) remains unreachable, and his specific circumstances have not yet been confirmed.
Pressure Applied to Church-Related Activity Sites
At around 9:00 a.m. the same morning, local police officers appeared at one teaching site of Early Rain Academy (秋雨学堂), which operates under the Early Rain Covenant Church. The school subsequently organized teachers and students to leave the site. Afterwards, the landlord of the teaching site was instructed to go to the police station and was informed that all items at the premises must be cleared out by this Friday.
According to church members, Brother Pan Fei was also informed that day by his company’s management that his personal activities were under close surveillance, and he was later on threatened again.
Cross-Regional Action Draws Attention
Based on currently known information, this operation involved multiple core church coworkers and their family members across both Chengdu and Deyang, including restrictions on personal freedom, home searches, and cases of individuals losing contact. The church stated that it is continuing to collect information, and that the specific legal basis and the current status of those involved still require further verification.
In recent years, the Early Rain Covenant Church, as a house church not affiliated with the official religious system, has seen its situation draw sustained attention. The events of January 6 are viewed by the church as a coordinated action targeting its organizational structure and core members.
A prayer letter from the Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church cited the following scriptures from the Bible: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. However, rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1 Peter 4:12-14)
At the time of publication, the relevant authorities have not yet issued a public statement regarding this operation.
The information in this article was last updated on January 6, 2026, at 7:05 p.m. est.