Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, one of China’s most visible 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 crackdown on Christians that occurred in October. His family released a statement expressing gratitude for what they characterized as a miracle and thanking President Trump’s administration for its involvement in securing his release.
Jin’s case represents an uncommon instance of China releasing one of its own citizens in apparent response to United States government pressure. The case had been raised by President Trump during a visit to Beijing in May, when Trump stated that Chinese President Xi Jinping was “seriously considering” releasing imprisoned pastors, though Trump indicated that progress on other detained individuals, including British citizen Jimmy Lai, remained difficult. Jin’s family members, who reside in the United States, had made repeated appeals to the US government and directly to Trump. His daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, testified before Congress in November, after which Trump pledged to address the matter with Chinese leadership.
Zion Church was founded by Jin in 2007 and had operated from a physical location in Beijing until 2018, when authorities forced the facility to close. The congregation subsequently transitioned to online services, which enabled the group to expand its membership to thousands. China’s government permits Christian worship only in state-controlled churches, though Christianity itself remains legal in the country. Government figures from 2018 indicated 44 million Christians in China, while independent estimates accounting for unregistered believers suggested the total reached approximately 130 million.
Many Chinese Christians opt to worship in unregistered groups known as “house churches” rather than in government-supervised institutions. In recent months, Chinese authorities have intensified enforcement actions against such groups. Detentions of members from Early Rain, another prominent underground church, occurred in January, with additional police operations reported in June in Sichuan province. Several Zion Church members remain in custody, with nine members’ cases, including Jin’s, transferred to prosecutors on charges of illegal business operations and fraud, while nine others were released on bail pending trial.
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