{"id":51328,"date":"2024-09-24T14:00:55","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T05:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=51328"},"modified":"2024-09-24T12:51:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T03:51:15","slug":"vomk-report-318","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2024\/09\/24\/vomk-report-318\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA: EARLY RAIN CHURCH SERVICE DISRUPTED, 4 LEADERS DETAINED"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”51318″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”On Sunday, September 1, 2024, the Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church\u2019s in-person Sunday worship, held in a rented conference room, was disrupted by police. Elder Li Yingqiang, Elder Yan Hong, Pastor Wu Wuqing, and Deacon Zeng Qingtao were taken to the Hongpailou Police Station in Wuhou District for investigation on suspicion of \u201cillegal activities in the name of a social organization\u201d.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Hyun Sook Foley, all four were <\/span>later given 14-day detention at the Chengdu Detention Center by the <\/span>Wuhou<\/span> District Public Security Bureau, from September 2 to September 16.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The <\/span>raid was <\/span>the latest in a series of <\/span>actions against the church following the <\/span>arrest of Senior Pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 members of its Chengdu congregation on December 9, 2018. Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced on December 30, <\/span>2019,<\/span> to nine years in prison by the Chengdu Intermediate People’s Court for inciting subversion of state power and illegal business operations.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”51326″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, <\/span>a large number of<\/span> police officers appeared at the <\/span>rented worship <\/span>venue<\/span> on September 1 <\/span>j<\/span>ust before the worship started at 9:00 A.M. Elder Li <\/span>Yingqiang<\/span> and Pastor Wu <\/span>Wuqing<\/span> were taken away by police. About fifty believers were present at the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The police immediately cordoned off the area, preventing believers from going upstairs<\/span> to enter the worship area<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Dozens of <\/span>believers<\/span> downstairs s<\/span>a<\/span>ng hymns and worship<\/span>ped<\/span> together. Elder Yan Hong continued to lead the worship <\/span>upstairs <\/span>but was interrupted by police and taken away around 10:00 A.M. <\/span>Then <\/span>Deacon Zeng <\/span>Qingtao<\/span> came to lead the worship and was <\/span>immediately <\/span>taken away as well. <\/span>After that<\/span>, the <\/span>electricity <\/span>was cut off, and the believers were driven away by the police on site, but everyone continued to sing hymns calmly and worship the Lord attentively.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Online co-workers also took over to lead the service, jointly completing the Sunday worship<\/span>, according to Representative Foley. She says that the church had planned to take the Lord<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s Supper together during the worship service.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Because the elders and pastors qualified to lead the communion bread-breaking were all taken away by the police, the Christians attending the Sunday gathering were unable to receive communion<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>During the worship service, t<\/span>he manager of the rented venue had cut off power under pressure from the police and <\/span>was <\/span>loudly play<\/span>ing<\/span> Chinese patriotic songs and the Chinese cartoon <\/span>\u2018<\/span>Pleasant Goat and Big <\/span>Big<\/span> Wolf<\/span>\u2019<\/span>,<\/span> but the believers were not affected and continued to worship until the <\/span>service <\/span>was completed.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”51321″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Early Rain Elder Yan Hong (right) and Deacon Zeng Qingtao (left) at the police station” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that t<\/span>he remaining congregation <\/span>members <\/span>gathered in the lobby, where Deacon Xiao <\/span>Luobiao<\/span> led everyone in singing hymns and reading scriptures.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>They took turns reading the sermon message<\/span>, which was <\/span>a message on Ephesians by Pastor Wang Yi from years ago, titled <\/span>\u2018<\/span>The Gospel for Outsiders<\/span>\u2019,\u201d she says. \u201c<\/span>As soon as they started, the police wanted <\/span>to take Deacon Xiao <\/span>Luobiao<\/span> away. Some <\/span>of the <\/span>believers negotiated with the police, who then said they <\/span>wouldn\u2019t<\/span> take anyone away if the<\/span> church members<\/span> dispersed. After everyone dispersed, they gathered in small groups to continue meeting elsewhere.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, each of the four Early Rain Church leaders who were detained had been facing serious difficulties prior to the September 1 raid.<\/span> \u201c<\/span>Preacher Wu <\/span>Wuqing\u2019s<\/span> home has been without water and electricity for more than a month, <\/span>so at least he could <\/span>finally use water and electricity <\/span>at <\/span>the detention center<\/span>,\u201d she says. \u201c<\/span>Elder Yan Hong was hospitalized for cerebral infarction two or three years ago and needs to take medication every day to control it<\/span>. <\/span>Elder Li <\/span>Yingqiang<\/span> was diagnosed with high blood pressure when receiving a medical examination during administrative detention at the end of last year<\/span>.<\/span> Deputy deacon Zeng <\/span>Qingtao<\/span> needs to take diabetes medication every day<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”51323″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”After the elders were taken away, Early Rain Church Deacon Zeng Qingtao continued to lead the sermon.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In an open prayer letter<\/span> shortly after the September 1 detainment<\/span>, the Early Rain Covenant Church thanked all churches and brothers and sisters for their prayers for their church and prayed that God would continue to watch over the Early Rain Covenant Church and protect the<\/span> four detained church leaders<\/span>, so that their bodies and souls could rest and be filled with God\u2019s grace.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cMany Christians around the world <\/span>wrongly <\/span>think that Early Rain Church <\/span>must have <\/span>given up and <\/span>ceased operating by now<\/span>, after years of <\/span>continuous <\/span>onslaught <\/span>by the <\/span>authorities<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>.<\/span> \u201cBut even as authorities <\/span>continue to <\/span>rage<\/span>, the Lord continues to sustain Early Rain Church<\/span>, raising up new leaders as <\/span>Pastor Wang Yi<\/span> continues to be held in prison<\/span>. Early Rain Church is in<\/span> many ways more <\/span>joyful and <\/span>alive than many churches<\/span> in our own country<\/span> which have faced comparatively fewer hardships<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in donating to Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/span><\/a> or give via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Account Holder: (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note \u201cChina\u201d on the transfer<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”51318″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”On Sunday, September 1, 2024, the Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church\u2019s in-person Sunday worship, held in a rented conference room, was disrupted by police. Elder Li Yingqiang, …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":51319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51328"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51333,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51328\/revisions\/51333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}