Authorities in China's southern Guangdong province detained 30 members of a house church as part of the state's crackdown on religion.
The incident took place on the morning of July 10 when the Olive Tree Church's weekly worship service was interrupted by the officials from the religious affairs bureau and police department, according to China Aid, a Christian persecution watchdog group.
The officials took pictures and sealed the church, confiscating property, and disallowing its members to meet. 30 congregants were taken to the police station for questioning.
The officials reportedly took action after Zhong Shuguang, a pastor in Hetian, wrote about religious persecution among Christians in the province online.
Also charged was church leader Jiang Jianping for "conducting activities in the name of a social organization without registration." Jianping's mother collapsed after witnessing the whole incident in the police station.
Later that day the officials released most of the church members except Jianping and a lawyer named Tan Xiuhong, who they held for the next four days. Lou Yuanqi, another pastor was detained along with his whole family.
"Our children do not live at home; only one daughter lives at home. The rest of our children are in Urumqi. The public security bureau called us and asked us to tell them to come home. I asked why, and they said to gather their information, take their pictures and conduct blood tests," the pastor told China Aid.
"I said they have all married and started their careers ... this is too unreasonable to do. A while ago, they even took away my ID card and returned it later."