(Chengdu — September 23, 2026) Two members of a prominent underground Protestant church in southwestern China have been released after 10 days of administrative detention, even as police continue to summon and question other congregants, according to the church.
Elder Wu Wuqing and church member Shen Xiaoqing of Early Rain Covenant Church were among 11 people detained during a Sept. 11 reading gathering at a teahouse in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Most of those attending were over age 60.
As previously reported by ChinaAid News, police took all 11 participants to Hongpailou Police Station, releasing nine earlier. Wu and Shen received 10 days of administrative detention for allegedly “illegally organizing proselytizing activities” and were fined 500 yuan and 300 yuan, respectively.
Police also warned that participants in any future Early Rain activities in Chengdu’s Wuhou District would be detained, according to the church.
Several church members who called the local mayor’s hotline to report alleged police misconduct subsequently received text messages summoning them to Hongpailou Police Station. The messages cited their involvement in “illegal religious activities” as the reason for the summonses.
Police action against the congregation continued even as the two men completed their detention.
On Sunday morning, Sept. 20, officers from Hongpailou Police Station again went to the home of Early Rain elder Yan Hong and forcibly took him away.
According to the church, officers have repeatedly taken Yan from his home for questioning over the past month, usually holding him until around 10 p.m. and sometimes past midnight. The frequent summonses have significantly disrupted his family life.
Church leaders face continuing prosecution
The latest detentions follow a renewed crackdown that began Jan. 6, 2026, when authorities carried out coordinated raids against Early Rain Covenant Church. Police detained Elder Li Yingqiang and preacher Dai Zhichao and searched their homes.
By February, both men had been formally arrested on suspicion of inciting subversion of state power and were being held at the Deyang Detention Center in Sichuan Province. Their case was returned to police for supplementary investigation in August. ChinaAid reported that Li had been permitted to meet his lawyer after approximately six and a half months in detention.
Deputy Deacon Jia Xuewei and church member Ye Fenghua were also detained during the January operation. In May, ChinaAid reported that both had been placed under residential surveillance at designated locations, a detention measure that restricts access to family members and lawyers.
By August, Jia had been formally arrested on suspicion of organizing illegal gatherings, according to ChinaAid’s subsequent reporting. His case remained under investigation. Ye’s current legal status has not been independently confirmed.
Early Rain has faced recurring police action since a major crackdown in December 2018. Elder Qin Defu, detained during that operation, was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison for illegal business operations related to the church’s printing of religious books. He was released in December 2022.
Despite repeated raids, detentions and criminal prosecutions targeting its leaders and members, Early Rain Covenant Church has continued holding small, decentralized gatherings. The latest incidents illustrate the continuing police pressure facing the congregation more than seven years after the original crackdown.
Gao Zhensai is a special correspondent for ChinaAid News. Founded in 2002, ChinaAid is an international Christian human rights organization committed to promoting religious freedom and the rule of law in China through advocacy, legal support, and international awareness campaigns.