Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, leader of a major underground church in China, has been released after being detained in October. His family and rights advocates confirmed his release on Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump previously addressed Jin’s case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a meeting in Beijing. Jin has now reunited with his family in Los Angeles, according to Frances Hui of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation.
Jin and 17 other leaders from the Zion Church were detained in China as part of a significant government crackdown on religious practices. The move concerned those advocating for religious freedom, fearing increased restrictions on such freedoms in China. Jin’s family described his release as unexpected and expressed gratitude towards Trump, acknowledging Xi’s role in his release.
The White House did not immediately comment on the situation. Trump’s intervention followed his state visit to Beijing in May, where he also addressed the detention of Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai. While Xi indicated willingness to consider the pastor’s release, he suggested that Lai’s case was challenging. Lai, formerly a clothing magnate and publisher of a pro-democracy tabloid in Hong Kong, received a 20-year sentence in February.
Though activists applauded Jin’s release, they highlighted the continued detention of other church leaders. “At least eight members of Zion Church remain detained in China,” Maya Wang from Human Rights Watch shared online. She called for their freedom as well.
The Zion Church, one of China’s largest unregistered churches, operates outside the official religious framework imposed by the Chinese government. They oppose a mandate requiring worship only within state-registered congregations. The Communist Party, officially atheist, regards organized religion as a potential challenge to its authority. Under Xi’s leadership, there has been a push to align religious practices more closely with party loyalty.
Grace Jin Drexel, Jin’s daughter living in the United States, has spoken out about her father’s struggles. She emphasized the church’s foundation on worshiping in accordance with their faith, free from state intervention. The family had moved to the U.S. in 2018 after initial targeting by authorities, but Jin returned to China despite the risks. His daughter revealed last fall that she hadn’t seen him for six years.