Elder Li Yingqiang on the right with Wang Yi and his wife  (Photo: ChinaAid source)

(Chengdu, Sichuan province—June 30, 2022) Police raided Early Rain Covenant Church’s in person worship over the weekend. Multiple police vehicles parked near the meeting place, so congregants split up to avoid conflict with authorities.

Around 8:50 AM, Deyang police found Elder Li Yingqiang’s family near the worship venue in Chengdu and took them back to Deyang. Around 11:30 AM, Elder Li Yingqiang returned home safely after an interrogation at Longquanshan Police Station near his home. Early Rain Covenant Church’s Sunday service went smoothly.

Early Rain disclosed that Shen Bingdi, a congregant of the church, was summoned by national security officers of the precinct on the evening of June 22. The interrogation lasted 3 hours, and he was asked about his past detention and recent service at the church. On June 25, Long Kehai who came to Chengdu to be committed to Early Rain Covenant Church was taken back to his home in Gansu province by national security officers. Long Kehai is passionate about justice and testifies the gospel with joy. Early Rain Covenant Church particularly interceded for Brother Long Kehai in this Sunday’s prayer meeting, praying that the Lord keeps him steadfast, protects him from illegal treatment, and strengthens his faith.

This week’s open prayer by Early Rain Covenant Church said that house churches have fought on the frontline of a war since Protestantism was introduced to China over 200 years ago. It was customary for missionaries to face persecution and expulsion, but this very persecution rooted Christianity in China as deeply as nails are. A lot of local missionaries emerged from 1919 to 1949 and revived the gospel by holding Christian firmly, which served as the foundation during the persecution from 1949-1979. For thirty years churches developed rapidly as the Chinese craved for the message of the gospel. Persecution that happens now is an attack against the ecclesiastical theory, but God has shaped His churches using persecution, making His people more like Jesus.

Some congregants of the church have been asked to speak to authorities since this May, they were required to sign a pledge to renounce the church, but they all turned the unreasonable request.

~Yu Bing, ChinaAid Special Reporter