(Chengdu, Sichuan Province—December 16, 2020) On December 15, at approximately 4:50 pm, two officers from Chengdu City, Gaoxin District Zhonghe police station, accompanied by the safety and security director of Qili community, arrived at the home of Liu Xiaoqong, a member of Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC). Officials questioned Ms. Liu about articles recently posted on overseas websites.
Authorities suspected that Ms. Liu had written an article circulating online about police previously being stationed at her dad’s home. Although Ms. Liu informed police officers that she had not posted the articles, they continued questioning her. Ms. Zhang a close friend of Ms. Liu, said “She (Ms. Liu) did not write or post any articles recently. Ms. Wang, also a member of ERCC, said that Chengdu police officers had monitored the home of Ms. Liu’s dad since November 7, “Initially, they stayed there 24 hours every day to prevent him from being baptized.”
Ms. Liu told friends that on the day of the 2nd anniversary of the 129 crackdown on Early Rain Covenant Church, local police officers asked her to “drink tea with them.” She refused. Again, on December 15, police invited Ms. Liu to “drink tea together.” She declined again. Later, at dusk, the three officials visited her at home. questioning whether she wrote the article.
Since September 25, authorities have also constantly harassed Elder Li Yingqiang of Sichuan Chengdu ERCC, one house church Sichuan authorities severely persecute. In mid-October, before seizing him for interrogation, state security officers monitored Elder Li. Sichuan undercover police transported Elder Li and his family to Leshan in late October. On November 3, Leshan police arrived at Elder Li’s place to “register residents’ demographic information.”
Two years earlier, in December 2018, Chengdu authorities dispatched more than 100 police officers and officials of the Religion Bureau to ERCC. At this time, they summoned and detained more than 100 members of the church, including Wang Yi, the lead pastor, and Elder Qin Defu.
Later, CCP authorities sentenced Pastor Wang to serve nine years in prison. Authorities sentenced Elder Qin Defu to four years….
As pictured at the start of this story, despite ongoing harassment by Chengdu police, Chengdu ERCC members remember and continue to pray for imprisoned Pastor Wang Yi and Elder Qin Defu.
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