The Pain that Engulfs Autumn Rain Covenant Church

01/09/2018 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – He is an 11-year-old boy. He hasn’t seen his parents for a month now after they were snatched away by the police. With no one left to take care of him, his grandmother took him under her wings. He still does not know his parents’ whereabouts, and was only recently allowed to reunite with his classmates for a few hours under surveillance.

He is Shuya Wang, the son of Pastor Wang Yi, from Autumn Rain Covenant Church (officially translated as “Early Rain Covenant Church”) in Sichuan, China. On December 9, local authorities raided his church and detained hundreds of leaders, worshippers, and seminary students. As of January 8, 21 people have been criminally detained and charged with various crimes, including “inciting subversion of state power,” “allegedly picking quarrels and provoking trouble on the internet,” and “illegal business operations.” Some of these trumped-up charges carry potential jail sentences of up to 15 years. Shuya’s parents, unfortunately, are among those who could potentially remain in shackles for more than a decade.

Both of them are charged with “inciting subversion of state power,” a grave crime in a communist state since the government feels that its legitimacy is being threatened. No one is certain where Shuya’s parents are, as Beijing typically incarcerates them in undisclosed locations and subjects them to inhumane conditions.

Like many other children of prisoners of conscience, the hope of reuniting with their parents in the near future is dim. Beijing is determined to eliminate influential house churches while luring the entire underground church community to join state-sanctioned Three-self churches. Under President Xi Jinping, with the guise of the seemingly positive “Sinicization” approach to religion, he has mobilized the United Front Department, Religious Affairs Bureau, and Public Security Bureau to clamp down on churches that refuse to commit themselves to communist ideology above Christian theology.

Worshippers at Autumn Rain Covenant Church follow their pastor and leaders in fearlessly defending their right to worship. They have been raided time and time again, repeatedly detained and beaten, yet they never cease to worship. Their resiliency irks the government and destines them for a clampdown.