Members of an underground church in China have been urged to “remain united” after leaders and fellow churchgoers were arrested, in the latest crackdown on Christians in the country.

Early Rain Covenant Church leader Li Yingqiang and his wife, Zhang Xinyue, were detained by authorities in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Tuesday, according to Premier Christian News.

In a statement seen by The Guardian, the church called on members “to hold fast to the faith, to love one another, and to remain united amid persecution."

One member was arrested for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a charge authorities use against those deemed to be challenging the government.

The arrests are the latest in a wave of repression against Christians in China, with the ruling Communist Party tightening control over religious expression and targeting unregistered churches.

In October, 18 senior members of the underground Zion Church were detained in one of the largest crackdowns on unregistered churches in decades.

Members of the Yayang Church in Wenzhou were also arrested last week, with special forces surrounding its building and bringing in heavy machinery.

Its cross and church roof have since been destroyed, according to the religious freedom watchdog China Aid, with officials setting off fireworks over the ruins.

Benedict Rogers, senior director of Fortify Rights and co-founder and chair of Hong Kong Watch, told Premier Christian News that incidents like these are becoming “increasingly common.”

“The Chinese Communist Party is an avowedly atheist party. It dislikes religion, it dislikes any belief it feels is a rival to its power, and it wants total control over its people,” he said.