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Li Yingqiang

• Police Question Church Elder and Confiscate His Computer

  

  For the past five years, Elder Li Yingqiang has been repeatedly subjected to questioning and detention since the Chinese Communist Party began targeting the Early Rain Covenant Church. (For previously published reports on Elder Li, see this list.)
  
  In the most recent incident, Elder Li was taken by Deyang police officers for interrogation on December 15th. They questioned him about a pre-recorded message that was played on December 9th as part of an online event commemorating the fifth anniversary of the government's crackdown on the church. After being summoned again on December 19th, the church elder was detained for another eight hours for further questioning. In addition to warning him against participating in any future online church activities, the authorities confiscated his computer.

• Church Leaders Detained in Raid

  

  On the morning of November 9th, Elder Li Yingqiang – along with a few other church leaders from the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan Province – were visiting a new church that had been established in Dazhou, which is about 400 kilometres away. There, the believers of the two churches worshipped together, held a baptismal service and shared communion. However, this special service was abruptly interrupted when police from multiple departments forcefully entered the building.

• Bible College Graduation Raided

  

  The Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, has faced particularly harsh opposition by Chinese Communist Party officials over recent years. Despite the ongoing oppression they've encountered, members of this church remain determined in their efforts to continue reaching their community for Christ and training others of their congregation for evangelism. To read previously published reports on the various challenges experienced by this faithful fellowship of believers, see this list.

• Anniversary Conference Leads to Further Charges

  

  On December 9th, 2018, police in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, began a coordinated attack against members of the Early Rain Covenant Church. This has resulted in the detainment of more than 100 church members – several of them convicted of a variety of charges – and mounting pressures being imposed upon the church during the ensuing years. For more information on the initial attack, go to this report.
  
  Since the crackdown began, members of the church have been unable to meet together in person. Instead, they have held small group gatherings in homes and participated in online meetings. On the fourth anniversary of the incident, members of the church organized an online event, which was initially hosted by Elder Li Yingqiang. As the event commenced, an archival video was played featuring their detained pastor, Wang Yi. In the middle of the video, Elder Li suddenly interjected: "The police are already here. They are knocking at my door. I'll be gone soon." After praying with everyone, he was taken to the police station where he was accused of "disturbing social order."

• Early Rain Covenant Church Further Targeted

  

  In December 2018, security forces raided the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, Sichuan. More than a hundred members were arrested, including Pastor Wang Yi, who has since been sentenced to nine years in prison. The location where the congregation met has been demolished and authorities have officially banned all future gatherings. Despite these measures, members of the church have sought alternate ways to continue meeting for worship and share the message of the Gospel. In response, security forces have continued to intimidate church members.