Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, one of China’s most prominent underground Christian congregations, was released from prison and arrived in the United States on Friday evening. Jin had been among dozens of church members detained during a broad crackdown on Christians in October. His family released a statement expressing gratitude, thanking both God and President Trump’s administration for what they characterized as a significant intervention.
The release represents an uncommon instance of China freeing one of its own citizens in response to diplomatic pressure from the United States. The case gained prominence when President Trump raised it during a visit to Beijing in May, stating that Chinese President Xi Jinping was “seriously considering” releasing imprisoned pastors. Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, testified before Congress in November and had made direct appeals to the Trump administration. Trump subsequently pledged to discuss Jin’s case with Xi.
Zion Church was established in 2007 and became a recognized figure within China’s underground church movement. The church’s physical location in Beijing was forced to close in 2018, after which the congregation transitioned to online services that expanded their reach to thousands of members. The organization operates outside of government-approved religious structures, as Chinese law permits Christianity only within state-controlled churches.
China has intensified enforcement actions against unregistered churches in recent months. In January, members of Early Rain Church, another prominent underground group, were detained, and subsequent operations in Sichuan resulted in additional detentions. While Jin has been released, several Zion Church members remain in custody. In the previous month, nine members including Jin had their cases transferred to prosecutors on allegations of illegal business operations and fraud, though nine others were released on bail pending trial.
The government maintains official figures indicating approximately 44 million Christians in China, though independent estimates accounting for unregistered believers place the number substantially higher, around 130 million. Many Christians choose to worship in unregistered house churches rather than in government-controlled religious institutions.
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