On June 14, during a gathering of the Autumn Rain Covenant Church in a hotel in Jiangyou City, Sichuan Province, suddenly, about fifty to sixty police officers and local government officials stormed the venue. They shouted loudly, intimidated, and forcefully took away 33 believers, including children. Elder Yan Hong and Elder Wu Wuqing have been administratively detained. Chen Yunfei and others were handcuffed, beaten, and subjected to mistreatment.
According to members present at the scene, around 11 a.m. that day, the church was holding an event in Jiangyou City when it was suddenly surrounded by a large number of police, SWAT teams, and government officials. The authorities dispatched several police cars and buses, forcibly taking 33 believers to the Jiangyou City detention center. Currently, Elder Yan Hong and Elder Wu Wuqing have been administratively detained.
Church member Chen Yunfei told Epoch Times that the police forcefully took him and 32 others to the Jiangyou City detention center, with one person’s whereabouts unknown. The believers requested to see legal documents, but the police did not present any legal procedures, so everyone refused to cooperate. “The police pulled us out and made us sit on the ground in the sun, but I refused. They even snatched my water and didn’t allow me to drink.”
Ah Xin and others were also handcuffed, with Chen Yunfei enduring the use of reverse handcuffs for seven to eight hours, resulting in injuries to his arms that still prevent normal movement. “I was beaten, they slammed my head against the wall and my ears bled. After being in reverse handcuffs for seven to eight hours, my hands still haven’t recovered, and they hurt terribly, my arms can’t even be rotated.”
After being assaulted, Chen Yunfei reported the incident to the police, detailing five demands that remain unanswered to this day. “First, the police and SWAT officers beat me in several places; second, they kept me in reverse handcuffs for seven to eight hours, which is torture; third, the police did not show any legal procedures throughout the entire process; fourth, the police did not allow us to take photos at the gathering; and finally, they didn’t allow us to eat, drink, or use the restroom.”
The police also coerced believers into signing compromise agreements. Multiple believers stated that the church has long been suppressed by the authorities because they refuse to belong to the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement church controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
Chen Yunfei explained, “The Three-Self Church operates under the leadership of the Communist Party and follows the Party’s demands. We don’t promote personal worship, we only worship God. They say we are not registered, but when we try to register, they don’t approve it.”
The Autumn Rain Covenant Church was founded in Chengdu by Wang Yi in 2008 and has been under prolonged suppression for not joining the Three-Self Patriotic Movement as required by the Chinese Communist Party.
In 2018, the church faced a widespread crackdown by the CCP, with Pastor Wang Yi arrested and sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.”
On January 6, 2026, church members were once again subjected to mass arrests, summons, or restrictions on their personal freedoms. As of now, two individuals are being detained on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power,” and many others are under “designated surveillance residence” or on bail pending trial.