Beijing Zion Church Pastor Detained as China Launches Sweeping Crackdown on House Churches

Key Facts

Published: October 13, 2025 Location: BEIJING, CHINA Source: Washington Times, Relevant, Associated Press

• China detains Pastor Ezra Jin and dozens of Zion Church leaders in coordinated raids across six provinces
• U.S. officials including Marco Rubio and Mike Pence condemn the crackdown as an attack on religious freedom
• Zion Church, banned in 2018, grew to more than 5,000 members meeting in homes and online after COVID
• Advocates warn this marks the most widespread persecution of China’s house churches in 40 years

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

BEIJING, CHINA (Worthy News) – The Trump administration has condemned China’s latest crackdown on unregistered Christian churches after the arrest of Pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin, founder of the Beijing Zion Church, and at least 30 other church leaders across six provinces.

Pastor Jin, one of China’s most prominent underground Christian leaders, was detained Friday at his home in Beihai, Guangxi province, in what advocates describe as the most extensive wave of persecution against independent house churches in more than four decades.

Zion Church, founded in 2007, grew to become one of China’s largest unregistered congregations, with more than 5,000 active members worshiping in homes, restaurants, and even karaoke bars across 40 cities. The church was banned in 2018 after refusing to install government surveillance cameras but continued operating in secret and online during the pandemic, drawing thousands of new believers.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the arrests Sunday, calling on Beijing “to immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution.” Former Vice President Mike Pence echoed the statement, writing on X that “this attack on Christianity will not prevail.”

Zion Church pastor Sean Long, now based in the United States, said Chinese authorities targeted pastors accused of “illegal dissemination of religious content via the internet.” He described the raids as “a brutal violation of freedom of religion, which is written into the Chinese constitution.”

China’s Foreign Ministry has declined to comment on the detentions, though officials have previously insisted that Beijing “manages religious affairs in accordance with the law.” Under President Xi Jinping, China has intensified efforts to “Sinicize” religion, requiring loyalty to the Communist Party and strict adherence to government regulations on worship, online activity, and foreign contact.

Pastor Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, who resides in the United States, said her father was aware of the risks but refused to abandon his congregation. “He could have stayed in the U.S. and sought asylum,” she said, “but he felt he had to be with the flock.”

Despite the sweeping arrests, Zion Church members say they will continue meeting in secret and online. “We will not stop what we are doing,” Long said. “We will share the good news of Jesus Christ no matter what.”

Latest Worthy News