In a sweeping crackdown that has sent shockwaves through China’s Christian community and drawn international attention, nearly 30 pastors and staff members of the influential Zion Church network were detained last week in coordinated police actions spanning at least six cities. The operation, which began on Thursday, October 9, 2025, culminated in the arrest of the church’s founder, Pastor Jin Mingri—also known as Ezra Jin—at his apartment in Beihai, Guangxi province, on Friday. The move marks the most extensive and coordinated wave of persecution against house churches in China in more than four decades, according to the U.S.-based nonprofit ChinaAid.
Pastor Jin, 56, has long been a prominent figure in China’s underground Christian movement. He founded Beijing Zion Church in 2007, growing it from fewer than 20 people into one of the country’s largest unofficial congregations, boasting over 1,500 members at its peak and a sprawling network of more than 100 church plants across 40 cities. The church’s hybrid model—combining in-person gatherings with online prayer groups—has enabled it to reach up to 10,000 people at a time, even as authorities have tightened restrictions on religious activity.
The latest crackdown appears to be a direct response to this growth. According to The Wall Street Journal, authorities accuse Jin and other detained church leaders of the “illegal dissemination of religious information via the internet,” a charge that has become more common since new regulations limiting online religious activities to state-sanctioned channels were issued in September. The Chinese government, officially atheist, allows only tightly controlled, state-approved congregations to operate openly, leaving tens of millions of Christians to worship in underground “house churches” like Zion.
For Jin’s family, the events of the past week have been both heartbreaking and eerily familiar. Grace Jin, his 31-year-old daughter who now lives near Washington, D.C., first learned of the arrests early Friday morning through a prayer-request letter about another Zion pastor’s detention. “I didn’t want to believe this was happening,” she told The New York Times, recalling the dread she felt as news spread among the church’s U.S.-based families. Grace’s mother and two younger brothers also reside in the United States, having moved there in 2018 to avoid government leverage and the risk of collective punishment.
Jin himself has faced years of pressure and surveillance. His conversion to Christianity came in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, after which he grew disillusioned with the Communist Party and sought solace in faith. Despite repeated threats and the forced closure of Zion Church’s Beijing sanctuary in 2018—after Jin refused to install government-ordered security cameras—he continued to lead the church, adapting by holding smaller gatherings and streaming sermons online. The government’s actions have not gone unnoticed. As Corey Jackson, founder of the Luke Alliance, told The New York Times, “The Chinese church is probably stronger than the world realizes, maybe stronger than the Communist Party realizes. And I think that’s part of the problem the Communist Party is facing.”
The current wave of detentions has drawn comparisons to previous flashpoints in U.S.-China relations involving persecuted Chinese nationals. The timing is particularly sensitive, coming just weeks before a possible summit between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Jin’s family ties to the United States—his wife and children are American citizens—have complicated the diplomatic picture, with some observers speculating that he could become a bargaining chip in ongoing bilateral negotiations. Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has already called for Jin’s release, underscoring the international ramifications of the crackdown.
Yet the Chinese government has remained silent. Calls to the Beihai police have gone unanswered, and as of Sunday, October 12, 2025, it was unclear whether Jin had been formally charged. Church members report that some detainees have been released after initial interrogations, but many—including Jin—remain in custody. According to Sean Long, a Zion pastor now based in the United States, the coordinated nature of the arrests sets them apart from previous incidents. “It’s a brutal violation of … the Chinese Constitution that grants every Chinese citizen freedom of religious belief,” Long told Christianity Today. He added that Jin had long anticipated such a crackdown, even sending his family abroad years earlier to ensure the church would not be left leaderless.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, Zion Church’s network has shown remarkable resilience. On Sunday, just three days after the crackdown began, the church’s 100 plants—ranging from small groups in living rooms to gatherings in rented restaurant rooms—continued their weekly worship. Services were livestreamed via Zoom, with a pastor preaching from South Korea, followed by discussions, Bible studies, and shared meals. “No suffering, no glory—that’s the most important spiritual DNA of the Chinese house church movement through history,” Long said. “We are willing to pay the price to bear the cost of discipleship.”
The crackdown has also reignited debate over religious freedom in China. The Chinese Constitution technically guarantees this right, but in practice, only state-approved religious organizations are allowed to operate openly. Under President Xi Jinping, the government has intensified its campaign against unofficial congregations, not only among Christians but also targeting other faiths such as Islam. Authorities have encouraged citizens to report unsanctioned religious gatherings, sometimes labeling them as “cults.” In May, Xi’an police detained another Zion-affiliated pastor, Gao Quanfu, for allegedly “using superstitious activities to undermine the implementation of justice.” In June, ten members of Golden Lampstand Church were imprisoned on fraud charges, with their pastor sentenced to 15 years.
For Jin, the risks have always been clear. He was barred from leaving China, separated from his family for years, and was even physically blocked from renewing his U.S. visa at the American Embassy in Beijing. Despite his health challenges—he has diabetes—he remained committed to his flock. In a recent conversation with Long, when asked what would happen if all Zion’s leaders were arrested, Jin replied, “Hallelujah, because a new wave of revival is coming.” Long interprets this as a reflection of Christianity’s history of flourishing under persecution: “Where there is repression there is revival.”
As the fate of Jin and his fellow church leaders remains uncertain, the Zion Church community continues to gather, pray, and hope for a miracle. Grace Jin, fighting back tears, expressed her determination to advocate for her father’s release. “We’re still hopeful for a miracle as Christians,” she said. “We believe that this is bigger than geopolitics and that this is a cosmic battle, and we believe that we are on the winning side ultimately.”
For now, the story of Zion Church stands as a testament to faith under fire—and to the enduring struggle for religious freedom in China.
