Leaders of the Early Rain Covenant Church, a prominent underground church in China, were detained Tuesday. The sweep occurred in Deyang, Sichuan province. This action signals an intensified 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 briefly detained and 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. Immediate responses from international religious freedom organizations are expected. The situation raises concerns about religious freedom in China.
Early Rain Covenant Church is a well-known underground church. It was shut down in December 2018. Unregistered churches operate outside state control.
Further arrests are possible. The international community will likely monitor the situation closely.
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