Ezra Jin, the founder of Zion Church, one of China's most prominent underground churches, has been released from prison and reunited with his family in the United States. Jin landed in the US on Friday evening, weeks after being detained in a sweeping crackdown on Christians in October.
Family expresses joy and gratitude
“We truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling overwhelmed with joy,” Jin’s family said in a statement. “We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We also thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership.” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rare release amid US lobbying
Jin’s release is a rare case of China releasing one of its own citizens, apparently in response to lobbying from the US. In 2024, David Lin, an American pastor of Chinese origin, was released from prison after 20 years following lobbying by the State Department. Jin’s case was raised by Donald Trump during his visit to Beijing in May. The US president said that Xi Jinping, China’s president, was “seriously considering” releasing pastors jailed in China, while progress on other detained figures, such as British citizen Jimmy Lai, was harder.
Family appeals and congressional testimony
Jin’s wife and children, who are in the US, repeatedly appealed to the US government and directly to Trump to secure his release. Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, testified before Congress in November. Trump later described her as a “beautiful daughter” and promised to raise Jin’s case with Xi.
Background on Zion Church and crackdown
Jin, a Chinese citizen, is one of the most recognizable faces of China’s underground church movement. He founded Zion Church in 2007. In 2018, the church’s physical location in Beijing was forced to close, but the group moved to online sermons, extending their reach to thousands of members. Christianity is legal in China, but worship is only permitted in government-controlled churches. In 2018, the government reported 44 million Christians in China, but other estimates, including unregistered believers, put the number at about 130 million. Many Christians shun government-controlled churches and prefer underground groups like Zion, also known as “house churches.”
Ongoing detentions and charges
In the past year, China launched a major crackdown on house churches. In January, members of Early Rain church, another prominent group, were detained. In June, an Early Rain gathering in Sichuan was raided by police, with reports of more than 30 people taken for questioning. Several members of Zion Church remain in detention. Last month, the cases of nine members, including Jin, were transferred to prosecutors on charges of illegal business operations and fraud. Nine others were released on bail pending trial.
