Harassment Ahead of “129” Anniversary

(Chengdu, Sichuan province – December 19, 2024) On the eve of the 6th anniversary of the largest church crackdown in recent years – the “129” Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church crackdown, the church is facing varying degrees of pressure and warnings.

According to the church’s prayer request letter, their small group gathering venues can no longer be used due to police harassment. Even Christians gathering in teahouses face police raids, with officers demanding ID checks and taking photos. Recently, several church co-workers have been summoned by police or visited at home with warnings not to participate in any religious commemorative activities.

Ongoing Persecution and Harassment of Members

Reports indicate that church members have been subjected to ongoing persecution. Between November 5 and 12, 2024, nearly ten members were summoned by local community management officials, including several new members experiencing such harassment for the first time. These believers were targeted because they had attended the church’s September 1 Sunday service, during which Elder Li Yingqiang and three other co-workers were detained.

Officials from the Dujiangyan Religious Affairs Bureau pressured members such as Brother Zheng, Brother Song, and Sister Li to sign statements promising not to participate in “illegal religious activities.” Two elderly sisters were harassed at home by police, community workers, and religious affairs staff, who issued threats in front of their non-Christian family members, warning that participation in illegal activities could impact their pensions and their children’s employment and education. One elderly sister was even temporarily evicted by her son due to these pressures (she later returned home), with her family also enduring much fear and torment.

Pastor Wu Wuqing’s family has had water and electricity cut off starting July 25, 2024. Pastor Wu was detained on September 1 for leading the Sunday service and held for 14 days. His family was also subjected to surveillance. While his utilities were restored by the end of September, the harassment resumed with new water and electricity cutoffs in mid-October. Such stability-maintenance measures have been a constant reality for Early Rain Covenant Church since the “129” crackdown in 2018.

A Timeline of the Early Rain Covenant Church Case

In late August 2018, the Chinese government implemented the new “Regulations on Religious Affairs”, intensifying pressure on house churches. Pastor Wang Yi initiated the joint statement “Declaration for the Sake of the Christian Faith”, urging Christian leaders to stand firm against government interference.

On December 9, 2018, over 100 church members, including Pastor Wang Yi, were detained overnight, the church was disbanded, its property confiscated, and believers expelled.

In late December 2019, Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.” Elder Qin Defu received a four-year sentence and was released on December 9, 2022.

In the six years since the “129” crackdown, the church has faced continuous persecution. However, under God’s protection, they remained steadfast in its commitment to house church principles, independent worship, and prayer for other persecuted churches.

Control Measures on the Anniversary

Each year before the “129” anniversary, Early Rain Covenant Church faces widespread control measures. In 2023, community workers, police, and unidentified personnel blocked church co-workers’ homes:

• Pastor Wu Wuqing, Deacons Zeng Qingtao, Xiao Luobiao, and Fan Hailing were harassed by unidentified personnel stationed outside their homes, preventing them from leaving.
• Shen Bing underwent forced “tourism” accompanied by police.
• On December 8, 2023, Elder Li Yingqiang was visited by police at his home and warned not to access the internet. On December 9, Elder Li and his wife were taken to the police station and released late at night.
• Deacon Jia Xuewei went missing early on December 8, and it was later learned that he had been detained for 15 days at the Shuangnan Police Station of the Wuhou District Public Security Bureau.
• Preacher Dai Zhichao was also taken away on the afternoon of December 9. The police, armed with a search warrant, searched Dai Zhichao’s home and brought his wife, Lu Lingzhi, to the police station. Preacher Dai Zhichao was criminally detained by the Jinniu Branch of the Chengdu Public Security Bureau on charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking trouble.’
• On January 9, 2024, Dai Zhichao completed his 30-day criminal detention and was subsequently released on bail pending trial, with a period of one year.

Prayer for Pastor Wang Yi and a Call to Persevere

In today’s public prayer request letter, Early Rain Covenant Church prayed for Pastor Wang Yi, who has been imprisoned for six years.

The letter revealed that after the “129” crackdown in 2018, Pastor Wang’s wife, Jiang Rong, was secretly placed under “residential surveillance at a designated location” for six months. Following this, for five and a half years, she has been under 24-hour surveillance. While her husband is imprisoned, she has endured constant threats and monitoring, unable to gather with fellow believers or live normal religious life. She has also had to bear the burden of caring for elderly family members and raising her children.

Early Rain Covenant Church stated in the prayer request letter that the “129” crackdown day was a glorious day of remembrance for the church. The letter encouraged brothers and sisters to worship God in spirit and honesty, to obey God rather than men, and to seek His protection for church gatherings.

It called on believers to respond to all circumstances with the truth of the gospel, to prioritize prayer and preaching, and to fight the good fight of faith while praying for peace for the nation and its people.

(Reported by Ningmeng, special correspondent for ChinaAid)