Beijing, China –The United States has strongly condemned the detention of Pastor Mingri ‘Ezra’ Jin and nearly 30 leaders of the unregistered Zion Church across multiple provinces, including Beijing and Beihai, on October 10. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the arrests as a violation of religious freedom and called for their immediate release, amid Beijing’s ongoing Sinicization campaign targeting independent Christian congregations. Human rights organizations say the move is part of escalating persecution, with more than 10,000 churches closed since 2018.
A pastor of one of China’s most prominent underground churches has been detained, according to his daughter, a fellow pastor, and a religious monitoring group.
Pastor Ezra Jin Detained in Widening Crackdown
Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri of the Zion Church was taken into custody at his home in Beihai, in China’s southeastern Guangxi province, on Friday evening. According to reports, dozens of other church leaders in Beijing and at least five other provinces were also detained.
Sean Long, a Chinese Zion Church pastor currently studying in the United States, said they could face charges of “illegal dissemination of religious content via the internet.”
“This is a very disturbing and distressing moment,” Long told The Associated Press by phone. “This is a brutal violation of freedom of religion, which is written into the Chinese constitution. We want our pastors to be released immediately.”
Widespread Raids and Tightened Controls
Long said the arrests came to light through photos and videos posted by church leaders in China showing police entering church spaces. Zion Church is one of the largest underground or “house” churches in China, operating without official registration as required by authorities.
Chinese authorities have not yet commented on the arrests. Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has intensified efforts to bring all religious activity under state control, demolishing crosses, closing churches, and pressuring believers to renounce their faith. The government’s “Sinicization” campaign demands religious groups show loyalty to the Communist Party.
Rising Influence of Zion Church
Pastor Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin, who lives in the United States, said she believes the renewed crackdown may be due to the Zion Church’s rapid growth. “Zion blew up after COVID, so that irked the government,” she said.
After its main sanctuary was closed in 2018, the church expanded its online prayer meetings during the pandemic, drawing thousands of new members who were unable to attend official churches. According to Long, Zion Church’s membership has grown from about 1,500 in 2018 to over 5,000 today, with more than 100 worship sites spread across 40 cities in China.
Broader Pattern of Persecution
The detentions come amid an intensifying campaign against unregistered Christian congregations. In May, the pastor of Light of Zion Church in Xi’an was detained, while in June, ten members of the Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi were sentenced to prison.
“We are witnessing the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution against urban independent house churches in China in over four decades,” said Bob Fu, founder of the U.S.-based religious rights group China Aid, which confirmed the Zion Church arrests.
A Pastor’s Resolve
Grace Jin said her father had moved his family to the United States after authorities targeted Zion Church in 2018 but later returned to China despite the risks.
“He felt that as a pastor he had to be with the flock,” she said tearfully. “He had always been prepared for something like this.”
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