On August 31, 2026, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a coordinated arrest operation targeting The Church of Almighty God (CAG) in Hunan Province. Police conducted overnight raids and arrests in multiple cities, including Hengyang, Zhuzhou, Changde, Loudi, Yongzhou, and Yiyang. According to incomplete statistics, at least 206 CAG Christians were arrested, including several church leaders and supervisors. The following are some cases involving home searches and arrests.
At around 5:30 a.m., six police officers broke into the home of Christian Liu Yin (female, 56), arrested her, and then searched her home. At 6:30 a.m., three plainclothes police officers arrested Li Kexin (female, 60, then serving as a church leader) while she was at work and took her to a police station. The police forced her to sit on a piece of paper bearing the name “Almighty God.” They also showed her surveillance footage showing herself recorded at around 4 p.m. on December 22, 2025, and attempted to pressure her into betraying other Christians. They then told her, “If you cooperate with us and name one believer, we’ll give you RMB 10,000 (approx. USD 1,500) as a reward.” When the interrogation yielded no results, the police threatened her children’s future and forced her to sign a written statement promising not to believe in God any longer.
At around 6 a.m., six plainclothes police officers used a purported “health inspection” as a pretext to trick Christian Chang Guihua (female, 64, then serving as a church leader) into opening her door. They forcibly took Chang Guihua and her twin sister, Chang Jinhua, to a police station. The police questioned Chang Guihua about the church: “How many people are there in your church? Who are church leaders? Where are the church’s supplies? How much money has the church received in offerings?” When they failed to obtain the information they wanted, the police became enraged and struck Chang Guihua on the head. They also threatened to cancel her pension, have her son lose his job, and impose other consequences, in an attempt to force her to sign the “Three Statements”—the Statement of Guarantee, Statement of Repentance, and Statement of Severance—and betray God. Because she refused to sign the “Three Statements,” the police handcuffed her with her hands behind her back and subjected her to physical abuse. The police subsequently had her brother sign the statements on her behalf and forcibly took her fingerprints before releasing her.
Several Elderly Christians Subjected to Police Raids and Arrests
On August 31, at around 7:30 a.m., more than 20 police officers carrying detection equipment broke into the home of Christian Li Qin (male, 71) and conducted a thorough home search. They even used detection equipment to inspect buckets containing dried beans. The search continued until after noon. Afterward, Li Qin and his wife were taken to the Public Security Bureau for questioning. They were not released until the police failed to obtain the information they wanted. The second and third floors of Li Qin’s home have now been sealed off.
At around 9 a.m. that morning, more than 10 SWAT officers searched the home of Christian couple Xia Changyong (male, 85) and Li Fulian (female, 80). The elderly couple were so frightened that they began trembling uncontrollably. Xia Changyong was subsequently taken to a police station for questioning. The police demanded that he disclose the whereabouts of church funds and forced him to place his fingerprints on three blank sheets of paper. When he refused, police forcibly photographed him and recorded his footprints and fingerprints. During the interrogation, Xia Changyong urgently needed to use the restroom but his request was denied. His prostatitis subsequently flared up, leaving him unable to walk. Police eventually had no choice but to take him home. Subsequently, his family rushed him to a hospital for treatment.
On August 31, at around 9:30 a.m., the police arrested Christian Zhou Li (female, 60) and two other Christians who were at her home. Several computers, cellphones, and other devices were confiscated. During interrogation, police pressured Zhou Li to sign the “Three Statements” and betray God. When she refused, an officer threatened her, saying, “If you don’t sign, you won’t be able to go home. Your home has harbored illegals, and you will not escape punishment! This time, I’m going to round all of you up.” The officer also told her, “The government has issued instructions that people like you who believe in Almighty God can be abused at will. If you are beaten to death, no one will be held accountable!” The officer further threatened, “Believing in God is an action subverting state power. If you are caught, three generations of your family will be implicated. We won’t even spare people in their 80s. We’ve been following you for a year. We know everywhere you go in and out.” Zhou Li was not released until 10:30 a.m. on September 2.
At 1:15 p.m. that same day, seven police officers broke into the home of Christian Zeng Xin (female, 86) and searched it thoroughly. Finding nothing, they questioned her about the whereabouts of church funds and books. When she could not provide the information they sought, they forcibly dragged her toward a vehicle. Zeng Xin became so frightened that she turned pale and suddenly fell ill, and police ultimately did not take her away.
The above cases indicate that the police had detailed information about the movements of some Christians, including their daily routines and specific activities.
Christian Shen Yuxian (female, 61) was arrested by several armed SWAT officers. The police even knew that she normally wore a medical mask and told her that they had been following her for a long time. After confiscating her hard drive and computer, the police sent her to a detention facility, where she was subjected to seven days of forced brainwashing.
After Christian He Qing (female, 57) was arrested, the director of the Public Security Bureau described her movements on specific dates in detail. The police also showed her a film depicting Jesus Christ being crucified in an effort to intimidate and pressure her. They told her that they would let her experience the same kind of torture device.
When Zeng Shunxin (female, 75), a church leader, was arrested, the police also accurately described places she had previously visited. After becoming frightened, Zeng Shunxin suffered a sudden heart attack, but the police continued to take her away along with another Christian. After Zeng Shunxin was released, police threatened her family members with consequences for her grandchildren’s future and demanded that they monitor her at all times.
Church leader Liu Yi (female, 62) was forcibly dragged into a vehicle by two police officers carrying iron rods. The police also searched her home and confiscated a computer, a projector, and books of God’s words, among other items. During interrogation, the police pressured Liu Yi to identify higher-level church leaders, but she refused. The threats and intimidation reportedly frightened Liu Yi to the point that she suffered simultaneous attacks of heart disease and stomach problems, causing her to vomit repeatedly and collapse from weakness. Police released her because they feared she might die in the interrogation room. Since then, Liu Yi has remained under police surveillance and lived in constant fear.
Six police officers broke into the home of Christian Li Shengping (female, 57). The police claimed that they had precise information about the times when Li Shengping entered and left the home of a Christian responsible for safeguarding offerings. During the raid, police officers confiscated cash and jewelry belonging to her daughter.
Christian Wang Li (female, 62) was forcibly taken from a hospital by the police for questioning while she was bedridden.
As of September 2026, when this report was published, the number of CAG Christians arrested had risen to 239. Several other church communities had lost contact, and many church members had been forced to leave their homes and go into hiding or flee.
Note: All names in this report are pseudonyms.
