Source: www.ChinaAid.org
Date: November 19, 2021
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(Deyang, Sichuan Province—November 18, 2021) Yesterday, Christians from Early Rain Qingcaodi Church were arrested by Deyang police on baseless “fraud” charges. Police arrested Elder Wu Jiannan and his wife; co-workers Liu Wuyi, Liu Yongbo, and Lan Enguang; and retired pastor Hao Mingchang and his wife Yang Yufeng. Elder Wu Jiannan and his wife were released in the evening. The others remain in detention at the time of this article.
Early Rain Qingcaodi Church (Qingcaodi) was Early Rain Covenant Church’s church plant in Deyang. Qingcaodi became a separate member of the Western China Reformed Presbytery. The church’s former elder Hao Ming was one of the pastors who signed the “Joint Statement: A Declaration for the Sake of Christian Faith,” that Pastor Wang Yi launched in 2018. Three days after the massive crackdown against Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, police officers raided Qingcaodi. They broke into the church, expelled the Christians, and posted a banning notice on the gate issued by the Religious Affairs Bureau and Civil Affairs Bureau.
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Starting from December 11, 2018, police officers kept pressuring the landlord to terminate the lease and threatened to fine him ¥200,000(~$31,358 U.S. dollars). They also ordered Qingcaodi to move out of their building by December 12. Elders rejected the unreasonable demand and told officers the church would hold their next Sunday service as usual in the building.
In the evening of December 12, eight police officers broke into the church and expelled the bible study group. Then they posted a banning notice issued by Religious Affairs Bureau.
On March 25, 2021, the Sichuan Province Department of Civil Affairs published a list of illegal organizations. Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church and Qingcaodi were both on the list.
~Yu Bing, China Aid Special Reporter
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