Preacher of Early Rain Church Faces Harassment

Preacher of Early Rain Church Faces Harassment

Wu Wuqing
Preacher Wu Wuqing
Photo: ChinaAid
 

Since December 2018, the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, has been subjected to repeated raids and ongoing oppression from Communist Party authorities who seek to shut down the influential unregistered church. Though the church's pastor, Wang Yi, is serving a nine-year prison sentence, members of the church continue to boldly reach out with the Gospel message.

One church member, Preacher Wu Wuqing, has experienced persecution several times. In June 2021, he and his family were locked in their home and prevented from leaving or having any visitors. Since confining the church leader to his home had failed to dissuade him from continuing his Christian activities, the authorities blocked the family – along with numerous other church members – from entering their apartment complex in 2023. Additionally, following numerous raids on his church gatherings, Preacher Wu has been repeatedly detained. After a 14-day detention in February 2024, his wife simply stated: "14 days is nothing. We are so happy to gather today, and when [my husband] returns in 14 days, we will gather again."

More recently, Preacher Wu's family has been pressured to move out of their rental home. On July 30th, water and electricity were cut off in an effort to force the harassed Christians to move. The utilities were eventually restored in late September, only to be cut off again on October 17th. While these believers were initially able to restore the power and water (which had been turned off manually), only a few hours later, the wires to their home were then cut.

It is clear that the intention of this harassment is to force the church leader and his family to relocate. Preacher Wu has asked church members to pray for his family and remove any anger from their hearts. He wrote: "When you pray for our family, you are acknowledging that we are suffering for the sake of our faith, and you are suffering with us! May God have mercy on us and graciously help us!" For further details on the ongoing persecution of the Early Rain Covenant Church and its members, go to our country report.

Despite the repeated harassment they have received from local governing authorities, pray that Preacher Wu and his family will maintain a forgiving and gracious attitude toward their oppressors. May the preacher's family, along with other members of the Early Rain Covenant Church, continue to minister the love of God and the wonderful hope He provides through His Word to those in their community and throughout China. Also pray for ongoing strength, encouragement and protection on behalf of Pastor Wang and the many other Christians in China who are presently serving time in prison for following the teachings of Jesus.

  • Current Ministry Projects

    The Voice of the Martyrs Canada continues to help distribute Bibles to Christians in the country, making it possible for them to have their own printed version of God's Word. Additionally, VOMC works with various mission partners to facilitate a Biblical understanding of persecution and discipleship, while presenting ways to effectively respond and minister within the context of hostility.

    Project Funds: Underground Church, Bible, Relief & Development

  • Country Information

    Population
    1,413,142,846 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Han Chinese (91.1), ethnic minorities (8.9 - includes Zhang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) (2021 est.)

    Religion (%)
    Folk religion (21.9), Buddhist (18.2), Christian (5.1), Muslim (1.8), Hindu (< 0.1), Jewish (< 0.1), other (0.7 - includes Daoist [Taoist]), unaffiliated (52.1) (2021 est.)

    Leader
    President Xi Jinping (2013)

    Government type
    Communist party-led state

    Legal system
    Based on civil law system; influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems

    Sources: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for China

    Pray that the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout China without government interference so many more names can be added to the Lamb's "Book of Life." May there also be a spirit of unity demonstrated among the country's growing churches, further strengthening existing believers and spurring them on in their ministry service and evangelistic outreach within the country's numerous communities.

China News

  • House Church Bible Study Gathering Raided
    Three police officers are browsing through a phone as a church member looks on.
    One of the church members being interrogated by police.
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Several Christians were gathered on the morning of August 22nd for a Bible study at the Beijing Holy Love Fellowship church when multiple police officers suddenly entered the facility. After demanding to see the believers' identification cards, the authorities recorded the personal details of all those who were present. At the time of publishing this report, no official statement or charges have been issued by the Beijing police.

  • Pastor Arrested for "Illegal Business Operations"
    Huang Yizi is speaking on the phone while in prison.
    Pastor Huang Yizi
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Pastor Huang Yizi, a prominent church leader in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, was informed on July 30th that he had been formally charged with "illegal business practices" relating to the distribution of sermon recordings. The Christian leader and several other church members were initially taken into custody on June 26th. At the time, the reason for their arrests was unclear. (A previously published report about the arrests is available here.) However, following the recent announcement of formal charges, further information has now come to light.

  • Detained Pastor's Family Faces Harassment
    Chang Shun is holding his little boy. Both are smiling.
    Pastor Chang Shun with one of his children.
    Photo: ChinaAid

    Since 2021, Pastor Chang Shun of the Maizhong Reformed Church in Fuyang City has encountered ongoing harassment from Chinese authorities. Unfortunately, all his appeals, in response to the multiple administrative detentions and fines he received over the years, have been unsuccessful. In 2023, Pastor Chang's church was officially banned by the government. Most recently, the harassed church leader was detained on June 29th during a raid by law enforcement officers. In this latest occurrence, he was taken into custody alongside Elder Ma Tao on suspicion of "organizing illegal gatherings." Several visiting friends and family members of Pastor Chang were also detained. Authorities forcibly relocated the visiting individuals, loading their belongings onto trucks and sending them back to their hometowns with strict orders not to return to Fuyang.

  • Christian Lawyer Remains Missing After Eight Years
    Gao Zhisheng is standing in front of a building dressed in a dark blue jacket.
    Gao Zhisheng
    Photo: ChinaAid

    For many years, Gao Zhisheng was a bold advocate for persecuted religious communities in China. While serving as a lawyer representing various faith groups, he himself was frequently harassed and arrested. In 2005, Gao's law practice was shut down by the government after he publicly condemned the human rights violations that were being committed against practitioners of a religious movement known as Falun Gong.