Washington DC [US], October 12 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday condemned China’s detention of several leaders of Zion Church, calling for their immediate release.
In a post on X, Rubio stated, “The United States condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s recent detention of dozens of leaders of the unregistered Zion Church in China, including prominent pastor Mingri ‘Ezra’ Jin. We call for their immediate release.”
Chinese authorities reportedly detained Pastor Jin Mingri, founder of Beijing Zion Church, along with nearly 30 other pastors and church workers across cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Pastor Jin, 56, was taken from his home in Beihai, Guangxi Province, while the church’s satellite congregations and online gatherings have continued to grow.
Jin’s family expressed concern for his safety, noting that he was accused of illegal dissemination of religious information. The Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but only state-sanctioned congregations are permitted to operate openly. Tens of millions of Chinese Christians continue to worship in underground “house churches,” which have faced intensified persecution under President Xi Jinping.
Pastor Jin had previously endured surveillance, harassment, and restrictions on travel, yet continued to lead Zion Church through smaller gatherings and online sermons, which attracted audiences of up to 10,000 people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The crackdown has drawn international criticism. Former US Vice President Mike Pence urged China to release Jin, while Corey Jackson, founder of Luke Alliance, described the detentions as the most significant crackdown on Christianity in China since 2018. He added, “The Chinese church is probably stronger than the world realises, maybe stronger than the Communist Party realises. And I think that’s part of the problem the Communist Party is facing.”
The United States has reaffirmed its call for the immediate release of Pastor Jin and the other detained church leaders. (ANI)
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