Almost a year after the international furor over religious freedom in China sparked nearly nine months of detainment for Pastor Ezra Jin, head of the influential Beijing Zion Church, has been released by Chinese authorities.
In October 2025, Jin (Chinese name Jin Mingri), together seven leaders of the unregistered Zion church, was arrested in a larger sweep of underground Christian churches.
Related News: Kidnapped Ekiti Worshippers Freed After 67 Days as Family Mourns Victim Who Died in Captivity
The group was barred from engaging “illegally” in use of “information networks”, a charge Rights Watch International said was evidence of an escalation of restrictions on religious activities outside state-run facilities.
Since then, the pastor has come to Los Angeles where he joined his family. His daughter, Grace Jin, said the release was “a tremendous miracle” and hoped it could be a positive sign for religious freedom in China and the relations with the Chinese and American governments.
Related News: Davido Defends World Cup Protest, Says Silence Is Impossible While Children Are Being Kidnapped
It coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump’s mention of Jin during his visits to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and came weeks after Trump raised the issue.
Chinese authorities told the pastor that he was released after a meeting between the two leaders and this was a gesture of goodwill, according to Jin’s family and the Christian rights group, ChinaAid. There’s no official comment, yet, from Beijing.
Questions remain as to the fate of the other members of the church in spite of the fact that Jin’s free. At least eight members of the Zion Church are still detained, and others are seeking their release and a loosening of restrictions on unregistered church groups, ChinaAid and human rights activists say.
Related News: USA Cleared to Welcome Balogun Back for Belgium World Cup Showdown
Zion Church, founded in 2007, rapidly became one of China’s largest independent Protestant congregations until it was closed in Beijing in 2018. Later, the church turned to the internet, reaching audiences from dozens of cities in China in spite of enduring pressure from the government.
