China detains two leaders of influential underground church

Mon Jun 15 2026 13:29:13 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

China arrests two leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church amid crackdown on underground churches; police detain more members for interrogation.

In Jiangyou, the Chinese police stormed a house‑church service, detaining two leaders and over 30 members for interrogation. The Early Rain Covenant Church had already lost its founder to a nine‑year jail sentence. The raid underscores the growing pressure on unregistered Christians in China and the frequent use of SWAT teams to target faith communities.

China detains two leaders of influential underground church

Early Rain Covenant Church SWAT officers surrounding congregants seated on red chairs in a ballroom — More than 30 members of the Church were taken for interrogation midway through Sunday service. Credit: Early Rain Covenant Church

An influential Protestant church in China announced that two of its leaders were detained after more than 30 congregants, including children, were rounded up for interrogation. The police raid, carried out in the south‑western city of Jiangyou, took place during a Sunday service when SWAT officers stormed the space where members were seated.

Founded in 2008 in Chengdu, the early‑rain covenant is watched closely by the Chinese Communist Party because religion in the region is tightly regulated. Its founder, Pastor Wang Yi, was arrested in December 2018 and is serving a nine‑year jail term for “inciting sub‑version of state power” and “illegal business operations.”

Early Rain Covenant Church Some congregants sitting on chairs while others, mostly men, stand in line to be escorted away by police officers — At least 50 police officers were present during the raid, according to some members' estimate. Credit: Early Rain Covenant Church

The church said officers tried to get those in the ballroom to sign an affidavit in exchange for release, but did not explain what it contained. The congregants refused and were released between 18:00 and 21:00. Two preachers—Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing—had previously been detained in January for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and they were again removed from the service on Sunday.

In October last year, 30 leaders of the Zion Church—another of China's largest underground churches—were rounded up in seven cities, and its founder, Ezra Jin, remains in custody. The raid illustrates how the Chinese Communist Party treats non‑state‑sanctioned worship as a threat to its control.

"(Sunday's) raid is another stark reminder that the Chinese Communist Party continues to treat peaceful Christian worship as a threat to state control," said Bob Fu, founder of the non‑profit ChinaAid, which monitors religious persecution.