Worship service at a prominent church in the southwestern Chinese city of Jiangyou was cut short Sunday morning by dozens of police officers, and two senior members remain in custody, members of the congregation say.

Videos shared on the church's Telegram channel show the moment the raid began at the Sichuan Province church, which is about 100 miles north of Chengdu, the provincial capital.

The account's administrator, who appears to be outside China, cited witnesses as saying the force numbered 60 to 70 personnel from multiple agencies, including local police, Religious Affairs Bureau officials and state security officers.

Early Rain Covenant Church

The officers can be seen surrounding and berating the congregation, which included young children, as members sing a hymn in quiet defiance.

Thirty-one people were taken away in groups to a detention center for questioning. Officials tried to pressure them into signing statements without disclosing what the documents said beforehand, but most refused, according to the Telegram statement.

By 11 p.m., most had been released, with the exception of two church elders, listed as Yan Hong and Wu Wuqing.

Newsweek reached out to China's National Religious Affairs Administration by email for comment.

“About 1 to 2 percent of Chinese adults identify as Christian, according to the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), a national survey conducted by Renmin University.

While Christianity is not banned, Beijing maintains tight controls over religious activity and places some of the world's most extensive restrictions on organized faith groups. Public worship outside state-sanctioned venues is prohibited, and places of worship must register with the authorities.

Religious groups are also subject to extensive oversight, including restrictions on teaching, publishing and online activities.

Beijing Bristles: 'Normal Religious Activities'

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday defended its handling of religious affairs and dismissed criticism as interference in the country's internal affairs.

"The Chinese government manages religious affairs in accordance with the law and protects people's freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said. "We firmly oppose interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of so-called religious issues."

Early Rain Covenant Church has become emblematic of the challenges facing China's independent Christian congregations amid what rights groups and observers say is an intensifying crackdown on unregistered religious activity.

The Presbyterian church was the target of a major crackdown in December 2018, when founding pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 congregants were detained. Wang was later sentenced to nine years in prison on charges including "inciting subversion of state power."

Wang had refused to register the church with the state and openly opposed President Xi Jinping's campaign to "Sinicize" religion by coercing churches to subordinate their doctrine and practices to the Communist Party.

Sunday's raid marked the latest in a series of actions targeting unregistered churches, including against a nationwide network of house churches collectively known as Zion Church late last year.