China’s crackdown on underground churches has intensified with new arrests

An influential Protestant church in China says prominent leaders have been arrested in what appears to be a growing crackdown on the church’s underground movement.

Nine people were detained on Tuesday after police raided their homes and the church office in Chengdu, the Early Rain Covenant Church said. Five of them were released on Wednesday.

More than 1,000 miles away in Wenzhou, authorities began demolishing the Yayang Church building, seen in video obtained by the non-profit ChinaAid, which monitors religious persecution.

This latest wave of arrests, after others last year, shows the Communist Party’s determination to eradicate churches that do not conform to its ideology, Christian groups say.

The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in the UK for comment. Authorities have not commented on the arrests, or the demolition in Wenzhou.

China promotes atheism and controls religion. The government said in 2018 there were 44 million Christians in the country, but it’s unclear if that number includes those who attend the many underground churches.

The Party has long forced Christians to join only state-sanctioned churches led by government-approved pastors.

But Christian groups say the grip has noticeably tightened, with arrests becoming more common and swift. At least two Chinese church leaders told the BBC that the authorities are rapidly arresting unauthorized church leaders, whereas in the past, these individuals were first warned, then fined and finally jailed if they still did not comply with orders.

Just a few weeks ago, Li Yingqiang, the current leader of the Early Rain Covenant Church, said he “felt a storm gathering” and referred to “the imminent prospect of … another large-scale crackdown”.

“I sincerely hope that none of our families will have to endure such a storm again. But as an elder appointed by the Lord to stand with you… it is my duty to remind you all to prepare yourselves before the storm returns,” he wrote in a letter to church members last November.

Li and his wife Zhang Xinyue are among the four who remain in detention. Their church described the arrests as a “concerted operation” but said the basis for the arrest, and whether those detained had been charged, remained unclear. It added that it has lost contact with the other two members but they have not been detained.

“The situation is ongoing, with specific details yet to fully confirm,” said the Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) in a statement to members and supporters. It also asks for prayers for the salvation of its members and their perseverance in the Christian faith.

In Wenzhou, local authorities brought in bulldozers, cranes and heavy machinery earlier this week, and began demolishing part of the Yayang Church building, as seen in the video. ChinaAid said it had been told by multiple sources that hundreds of armed and special police officers had been deployed to guard the outside of the building.

Sometimes known as “the Jerusalem of China”, Wenzhou has more Christians than any other city in the country. Residents living near the Yayang Church were “evicted”, while those working in the area were ordered not to take photos or record video, ChinaAid said.

“The widespread action against the two major independent church networks shows that the central government is determined to eliminate the Christian churches completely, unless the church is completely indoctrinated with the party’s ideology,” said Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid.

In December, authorities arrested about 100 members of Yayang Church in Wenzhou for five days. At least 24 members remain in custody, according to Human Rights Watch. And in October last year 30 Zion Church leadersone of the largest underground churches in China, surrounded by seven cities. Founder Ezra Jin is still in custody.

The Chinese government has also targeted the Early Rain Covenant Church, founded in 2008, for years. In 2018, authorities raided the church and arrested founding pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong. At least 100 church members was taken into custody in the following days in one of the largest crackdowns on Chinese churches in the last decade.

Wang, an outspoken critic of the Communist Party’s religious policies, was jailed for “inciting the overthrow of state power” and “illegal business operations”. He should be released in 2027.

The church continues to meet online and occasionally replays Wang’s recorded sermons to its members.

“Xi Jinping’s government has tightened ideological control and intensified intolerance of loyalties beyond the Chinese Communist Party,” said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“Concerned governments and religious leaders around the world should pressure the Chinese government to release the imprisoned religious followers and respect religious freedom in China,” Uluyol added.

Under Xi, China has increased its control over religious freedom. Since 2015, he has called for the “Sinicization of religions” which requires religious doctrines and practices to conform to Chinese culture and values.

Last year, authorities banned clergy of all religions from preaching live on social media, organizing online activities for children, and raising funds online, unless it is done on platforms approved by the government.