by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Police and government officials last week raided a homeschool house run by the highly persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, the Christian Post (CP) reports. Following the raid on January 14, members of the 5,000-strong ERCC congregation took to social media imploring Christians around the world to pray for them.
ERCC has suffered significant ongoing persecution, including police closing down the church, breaking down the doors of members’ homes, and arresting over 100 people in 2018, CP said. In an especially harsh case of persecution, ERCC’s Pastor Wang Yi has been sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of subversion of power and illegal business operations.
On the morning of Thursday, January 14 this year, law enforcement officers together with education and national security officials burst into the house where homeschooled children from the Early Rain Covenant Church were playing.
“The police are now raiding the home. There are a large number of police officers outside and inside of brother Liang Huali and Sister Shu Qiong’s home, and they are currently removing brother Liang’s personal belongings. Please pray!” the church posted on Facebook.
According to Open Doors USA’s World Watch List, China is one of the worst countries in the world for persecuting Christians. Nevertheless, there are now over 60 million Christians in China, at least half of whom belong to underground churches.