Hope for Pastor’s Release Amid China Crackdown

As Grace Drexel prepares for the birth of her third child, she finds herself reflecting on her father, Rev. Ezra Jin, who has been detained in China for over seven months. Her children hardly know him, and she hopes President Donald Trump’s intervention might bring him back home.

Rev. Jin, a senior pastor, was among many Christian leaders caught in what many advocates describe as a significant crackdown on underground Protestant churches in China. While Trump was in Beijing to discuss various issues with President Xi Jinping, Drexel’s family clings to a small glimmer of hope, as the president has promised to address Jin’s detention directly.

Trump mentioned to reporters that he intends to raise the issue during his visit. Drexel expressed her desire for one of the world’s most influential figures to know her father’s name, wishing that Xi Jinping would acknowledge the situation surrounding her father.

“It’s a great honor,” she said, underscoring her wish for a public acknowledgment of her father’s case. White House Press Secretary Olivia Wales emphasized Trump’s strong stance on religious freedom globally.

Drexel’s family has endured nearly a decade of separation. After Jin chose to stay in China following the closure of their church’s physical sanctuary in 2018, her mother and younger siblings fled the country fearing further persecution.

“He felt the call to China,” Drexel explained, noting that her father had many chances to apply for a green card but chose to remain. She hasn’t seen him since 2020, and as a mother, she longs for her children to learn from their grandfather.

Drexel described her father not as a political dissident but simply as a pastor dedicated to his faith outside the purview of the Chinese Communist Party. “He believed that the church should serve one God,” she stated, highlighting the independence of Zion Church, which is deeply rooted in Biblical teachings.

Years before his arrest, the temples faced increasing pressure from the government. With the implementation of tightened religious regulations, particularly after Xi Jinping’s policies promoting the “sinicization” of religion, churches like Zion became targets of government scrutiny.

The situation deteriorated further around 2016 and 2017 when the church was forced to install surveillance cameras. Jin had resisted these mandates, resulting in systematic crackdowns on church members, some of whom lost their jobs or faced eviction.

Drexel shared her heartbreak over her father’s condition in custody, recounting chilling details passed on by relatives—handcuffed, poorly treated, and deprived of medication. “This kind, gentle man is currently in prison,” she lamented. “It was all because he was just leading the church.”

The crackdown on Zion Church has been part of a broader campaign against Christians and other religious groups in China, with many being imprisoned without justification. Drexel emphasized that her father’s situation is representative of the broader struggle faced by many pastors and church leaders across the country.

She believes that the international community, especially the U.S., needs to take a pivotal stand. “This is a very critical time for China,” she said, expressing concern for the safety of Christians there. “It’s discouraging and frightening for many.”

As the situation remains dire, Drexel hopes that her father’s name being raised in high-level discussions will lead to a change. “I hope this meeting will soften the hearts of both parties,” she concluded, wishing for her father’s release and a chance for family reunification.

In response, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy claimed that the government upholds freedom of religious belief under the law, pushing back against accusations of persecution. They insisted that the state does not interfere in lawful religious practices but will act against any illegal activities masquerading as religious expression.