Group says dozens detained in raid on Chinese church

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BEIJING — Dec 10, 2018, 7:17 AM ET

Dozens of Christians have been detained in a raid on a prominent Chinese church that operates outside the government's official Protestant organization, a U.S.-based advocacy group said Monday.

At least 80 churchgoers and seminary students from the Early Rain Covenant Church were taken away in the southwestern city of Chengdu beginning Sunday night, ChinaAid said. Those detained include the church's pastor, Wang Yi, and his wife, Jiang Rong.

China has cracked down heavily on independent church groups this year as part of an assault on all religions.

The government requires that Protestants worship only in churches recognized and regulated by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Even within that framework, the officially atheist ruling Communist Party has been seeking to rein in religious expression, including removing crosses from official and unofficial churches.

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