Leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church, a prominent underground church in China, were detained Tuesday. The sweep occurred in Deyang, Sichuan province. This marks an escalation in China's crackdown on unregistered Christian groups.

Li Yingqiang, the church's leader, was taken from his home by police. His wife, Zhang Xinyue, was also detained. Pastor Dai Zhichao and lay member Ye Fenghua are among those held. Four other members were initially detained and later released. Some members remain out of contact. The detentions followed the arrest of 18 senior members of other unregistered churches.

The church issued a statement confirming the detentions. The immediate impact on the Early Rain Covenant Church is significant disruption of its activities.

Early Rain Covenant Church is one of many unregistered Christian churches in China. These churches operate outside state-sanctioned religious organizations. The Chinese government has been tightening restrictions on religious groups.

The situation remains fluid. Further arrests are possible. International religious freedom organizations are likely to condemn the actions. The future of unregistered churches in China is increasingly uncertain.