Six church leaders, elders, and members were detained last week as China increases pressure on house churches.
In a suspected coordinated crackdown, Chinese police detained leaders and members of Early Rain Covenant Church, one of China’s largest house churches. The majority of arrests happened earlier this month.
Police have “stormed” the homes of Early Rain Covenant Church pastors, elders and members, according to family members. Officers reportedly came without warning, confiscated electronics and property, and cut off communications with the arrested members starting around 4am on January 4. Some of those arrested have since been released, though others remain missing.
Early Rain Covenant Church was founded in 2009 and is one of the largest and most prominent churches in China’s house-church movement. The church previously operated out of rented property before refusing to register with the government-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement in 2018. The church still meets secretly in “small groups.”
House churches across China have faced increasing limitations on worship gatherings, livestreaming sermons, children attending church, and even Bible distribution. Independent Christian churches are no longer being treated as ideological competitors.
This news comes as a stark reminder to us at Back to Jerusalem of the price China’s church continues to pay to remain faithful. Chinese believers remain at the forefront of pursuing God’s vision to reach His will into all corners of the Earth.
