Pastor Arrested as Part of Crackdown on Christians in China
The leader of one of China’s prominent underground evangelical churches was apprehended recently, prompting widespread concern among his family and congregation about his safety. Ezra Jin, the pastor of Zion Church, was detained by Chinese authorities, according to his daughter, Grace Jin.
Zion Church, once the largest church in Beijing, has seen about 30 of its pastors and staff go missing or get arrested across various cities, including Beijing, Shenzhen, and others. Grace mentioned in a document that this trend isn’t isolated—numerous church leaders across at least five provinces in China faced similar fates recently.
“One by one, they were taken away, even though there were people nearby,” Grace shared, highlighting the fear and tension surrounding these arrests.
The Zion Church operates outside the scope of government approval, making it illegal. Grace noted, “The charges often relate to the online sharing of religious materials. We haven’t physically distributed anything, but detention slips are what most people face.” Recent months have seen China’s government ramping up crackdowns on religious leaders, she added.
In recent instances, other church leaders, such as Gao Quanfu from Xi’an, were detained under various charges, raising fears about what might happen to Jin now that he’s also in custody. Financial documents were taken from Zion Church, leaving Grace worried that her father could be similarly accused of fraud.
Since 2018, Jin has faced crackdowns that have kept him from seeing his children, who hold U.S. citizenship. He hasn’t been able to reunite with them for over six years.
Grace mentioned that the government had previously shut down Zion Church in 2018, fearing its influence. “After we closed, it was nearly impossible to find any space to continue our activities. If a venue was rented, authorities would quickly intervene,” she said. This led to the church adapting by moving to a hybrid model, distributing information and conducting live worship online.
“When COVID-19 hit, we were able to pivot quickly and became one of the few churches offering online services,” Grace recalled. Her father’s willingness to share resources with other congregations helped many churches navigate the transition to virtual worship, allowing for broader connectivity.
The family is now urging the U.S. State Department to intervene, asking that the Chinese Communist Party ensure Jin’s immediate release and allow him to return to his family in the U.S. The situation remains precarious, with other church leaders similarly impacted by these actions.
According to Dr. Bob Fu, founder of China Aid, the current state of religious persecution under Xi Jinping is unprecedented in the past four decades. He emphasized that faith and worship should never be criminalized, highlighting the resilience of church leaders and their congregations in the face of tyranny.
