Escalating Crackdown on Underground Churches: Arrests and Demolitions in China

Sat Jan 10 2026 23:14:19 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

An influential Protestant church in China faces significant oppression as authorities raid homes and arrest prominent leaders, while another church is demolished amid escalating crackdowns on Christian communities.

The Early Rain Covenant Church reports the arrest of its leaders in Chengdu, China, indicating a harsh crackdown on the underground church movement. In Wenzhou, authorities began demolishing the Yayang Church, reflecting the Communist Party's determined efforts to suppress religious practices that do not align with state ideology. The latest actions follow a series of arrests from previous years, signaling an alarming trend in religious freedom violations in the country.

An influential Protestant church in China says prominent leaders have been arrested in what appears to be a growing crackdown on the underground church movement.

Nine people were detained on Tuesday after police raided their homes and the church office in Chengdu, in central China, the Early Rain Covenant Church said. Five had been released by Wednesday.

More than 1,000 miles away in Wenzhou, authorities began demolishing the Yayang Church building, video obtained by non-profit ChinaAid, which monitors religious persecution, shows.

This latest wave of arrests shows the Communist Party's resolve to snuff out churches that do not align with its ideology, Christian groups say.

The BBC has contacted China's embassy in the UK for comment. Authorities have not made any statements about the arrests or the demolition in Wenzhou.

China promotes atheism and controls religion. The government said in 2018 that there were 44 million Christians in the country, but it's unclear if that number includes those who attend the many underground churches.

However, Christian groups say the grip has tightened noticeably, with arrests becoming more common and prompt.

Under Xi Jinping's leadership, China has tightened its grip on religious freedom. The crackdown on churches indicates a stark reality for religious adherents in the country, as many continue to face suppression for practicing their faith.

The situation is ongoing, with specific details yet to be fully confirmed as authorities implement their strategies against any form of religious expression that deviates from their sanctioned ideologies.