An underground church founder detained in China since October has been released, his family and church confirmed on Sunday, following a direct appeal from former U.S. President Donald Trump to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The case highlights ongoing tensions over religious freedom in China and the role of high-level diplomacy in individual detentions.
Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church—an unregistered Christian congregation—was taken into custody on October 10 along with other church members on suspicion of illegal use of information networks, according to his church and family. Jin is also known by his Chinese name, Mingri.
Trump raised Jin’s case during a May visit with Xi, and had stated that the Chinese president would “strongly consider” releasing him. On Saturday, rights group ChinaAid announced that Jin had arrived in Los Angeles after being freed.
Release Framed as Goodwill Gesture
According to a statement from ChinaAid, Chinese officials told Jin that his release “resulted from discussions between US President Donald J Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America’s Independence Day.” The statement did not specify whether any conditions were attached to the release.
Jin’s daughter, Grace, expressed gratitude in a statement shared with AFP, saying, “We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We hope this is a signal of a positive turn for people of faith in China and relations between our two nations.” She also thanked Trump and his administration “for their tremendous leadership.”
AFP has contacted China’s ministry of foreign affairs for comment on the release.
Broader Crackdown on Unregistered Churches
China’s ruling Communist Party has historically viewed organized religion with suspicion, and under Xi, authorities have tightened scrutiny of unofficial religious groups. Unregistered churches—places of worship that operate outside state-sanctioned, government-regulated networks—have faced increasing pressure in recent months.
In June, authorities raided an Early Rain Covenant Church service in southwestern Sichuan province and detained two leaders. That followed the January detention of several other leading members of the same church. Around the same time, AFP reporters observed that Yayang church in eastern Zhejiang province had been scaffolded and its cross removed.
Zion Church itself was founded in 2007 in Beijing and grew to 1,500 members before shuttering in 2018 under pressure from authorities. The church maintained an online presence that expanded during the Covid-19 pandemic, attracting followers across 40 Chinese cities. Jin’s family relocated abroad after 2018, but he returned to China to remain with the church and subsequently faced a travel ban. His daughter told AFP last year that he had not seen most of his family, including two young sons, for more than seven years.
Eight Members Still Detained
Despite Jin’s release, eight of the Zion Church members detained in October remain in custody, according to the church. The discrepancy between Jin’s freedom and the continued detention of others underscores the selective nature of the intervention.
The case illustrates how individual diplomatic appeals can yield results in specific instances, even as broader restrictions on unregistered religious groups persist. Whether Jin’s release signals any shift in China’s approach to unregistered churches or remains an isolated diplomatic gesture is not yet clear.
Source: China Frees Jailed Pastor Ezra Jin
Tightened Scrutiny
