China detains two leaders of influential underground church

Article excerpt

Chinese authorities detained at least two leaders of Early Rain Covenant Church during Sunday services, part of a sweeping operation that hauled in more than 30 members for interrogation. The church, one of China's most prominent unregistered Protestant congregations, has long operated in defiance of government oversight. Authorities have targeted the church repeatedly in recent years as part of Beijing's intensifying crackdown on religious organizations outside state control. The timing, pulling worshippers mid-service, underscores the government's aggressive stance toward independent faith communities.