Chengdu Autumn Rain Covenant Church Under Attack Again as Police Surround Congregation

(Central News Agency reporter Zhang Shuling, Beijing, 15th) Religious crackdowns continue across China. On the afternoon of October 14, the Autumn Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan, was suddenly surrounded and stormed by 50 to 60 police officers during its noon worship service, with multiple worshippers taken away. Earlier this year, six members of the church were detained by police.

According to reports from Weiquanwang and Hong Kong-based media outlet Dim Voice, during the church’s Sunday gathering on the 14th, over 50 police officers surrounded and raided the premises. After registering the ID information of all attendees, authorities dispatched buses and multiple police vehicles to forcibly transport congregants to local police stations.

At least two elders and several ministry staff members were taken into police custody. A large number of Christians present, including young children, were also successively loaded onto buses and police cars.

One congregant reported that they were holding a gathering in Mianyang City at the time, where police deployed not only plainclothes and uniformed officers but also special police units, some of whom were armed.

The Autumn Rain Covenant Church is an unregistered house church in Chengdu, and this is not the first time it has been raided by police.

In early January this year, six members of the Autumn Rain Covenant Church were detained by police, including elder Li Yingqiang.

In 2018, over 100 members of the Autumn Rain Covenant Church were detained. Pastor Wang Yi was later sentenced by authorities to nine years in prison on charges of 'inciting subversion of state power' and 'illegal business operations'.

In recent years, the Chinese government has intensified control over all religions, particularly cracking down on unregistered religious organizations, making fundraising, online sermons, and physical gatherings increasingly difficult.

However, many house churches refuse to register due to their rejection of the official political direction of religious policy and the requirement to submit weekly sermon content for prior review and approval.

In Fuyang, Anhui Province, the Mai Zhong Gui Zheng Church has faced repeated government suppression since 2021 for maintaining its house church stance and refusing to join the official 'Three-Self Church'. In October 2025, two pastors and one elder from the church were transferred to the procuratorate on charges of 'organizing illegal gatherings' and faced prosecution review. The trial did not commence until June 9 this year.

In October 2025, China's Zion Church was subjected to mass arrests, with about 30 pastors and church members, including Pastor Jin Mingri, taken into police custody. Subsequently, 18 pastors and members were approved for arrest by the Beihai City Procuratorate in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and now face trial, potentially facing up to three years in prison.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, during his visit to China in May, told the media upon his return that Xi Jinping had promised to 'seriously consider releasing that pastor.' The 'pastor' referred to Jin Mingri. However, there has been no news of Jin Mingri’s release to date. (Edited by Qiu Guoqiang) 1150615

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