Christmas Eve: Chengdu police raid homes of Early Rain Covenant Church members; Xiamen police interrupt and disband Christmas Eve concert at Xiamen Wanda Plaza

Police raiding home of Brother Xiao Luobiao home on Christmas Eve.
(Photo: Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church) 
(Chengdu, Sichuan, and Xiamen, Fujian—Dec. 27, 2020) Despite it being Christmas Eve, on December 24, Chengdu police raided the home of Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) member Brother Xiao and on that same day, Xiamen police interrupted and disbanded a Christmas Eve concert at Xiamen Wanda Plaza. Christians posted two distinct responses to these two harassing events.

Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church

On December 25, Christmas Day, the day after police raided the houses of several Christians on Christmas Eve, including the home of Brother Xiao Luobiao, a member of ERCC posted a prayer request that Christians pray for the violated members. At approximately 7 pm, to prevent Brother Xio and his family from “attending” ERCC’s online service, Chengdu police forcibly entered their home. 
Using their cell phones during their home invasion, police photographed Brother Xiao and his wife, Sister Chen Yan, When Sister Chen used her cell phone to photograph police, however, several officers became physically combative. Police officer Lin, badge ID 007485, appeared especially aggressive. Although pregnant, Sister Chen initially resisted police attempts to confiscate her phone. Later, after police deleted photos Sister Chen had made of them, they returned her phone. 


Xiamen Xunsiding Church

At approximately 11 pm on Christmas Eve, Pastor Yang Xibo of Xiamen Xunsiding Church posted on Facebook that at the mid-point of a Christmas Eve concert at Xiamen Wanda Plaza, police had questioned two of the scheduled Christian singers. At 8:10 pm, several religious affairs bureau officials and security agents commandeered the concert and transported two Christian singers to the police station. After interrogating the singers, authorities released them at 11 pm. 
At the time of the police disruption, a spokesperson on stage announced, “At this time, today’s concert must end.” Security staff then directed those in the audience to leave. 
Some concert attendees complained to police: “Doesn’t China say we have religious freedom? How could this happen? Nothing wrong happened in the program. Why did you stop the concert? 
One grandmother holding her grandson, frustrated that police had stopped the concert, but thankful for getting to attend part of it, said, “It was a great concert. I was moved.” 
###
But I say to you, 
love your enemies, 
bless those who curse you, 
do good to those who hate you, and 
pray for those 
who spitefully use you and persecute you….     
~ Matthew 5:44 

 

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Christmas Eve: Chengdu police raid homes of Early Rain Covenant Church members; Xiamen police interrupt and disband Christmas Eve concert at Xiamen Wanda Plaza

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