China Arrests Numerous Prominent Christians Leaders – Trump Admin Demands Release
The United States is calling for the immediate release of Christian pastors and church leaders detained by Chinese authorities in a sweeping crackdown on unregistered house churches.
Pastor Jin Mingri of Beijing’s Zion Church was taken into custody at his home Friday evening, along with leaders from at least five other provinces, according to the Associated Press.
Sean Long, a Chinese pastor from the Zion Church currently studying in the United States, said the arrests could lead to charges of “illegal dissemination of religious content via the internet.”
“This is a very disturbing and distressing moment,” Long said. “It’s a blatant violation of religious freedom — a right protected by China’s own constitution. We want our pastors to be released immediately.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the arrests, saying the Trump administration “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.”
“This crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP continues to show hostility toward Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship freely,” Rubio said in a statement posted to the State Department’s website.
“We call on the CCP to release all detained church leaders immediately and to allow believers in China to worship without fear of punishment or harassment.”
Beijing responded sharply to the U.S. statement.
“The Chinese government governs religious affairs in accordance with the law and protects the religious freedom of citizens and normal religious activities,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, according to the BBC. “We firmly oppose the United States interfering in China’s internal affairs under the pretext of religion.”
Grace Jin, the daughter of Pastor Jin, told The New York Times that about 30 members of the Zion Church were arrested in the nationwide crackdown. The church, one of China’s largest unregistered congregations, draws roughly 1,000 worshippers each week.
Grace Jin said her father has been under surveillance since 2018 and has been barred from leaving the country. She believes his expected charge—illegal dissemination of religious information—is part of a broader campaign by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to restrict Christianity and tighten state control over religion.
“After all the warnings and surveillance, we knew something might happen again,” she said. “But my dad has always been an optimist. He says, ‘I can’t live in fear every day, so I’ll just continue doing what I’m called to do.’”
Corey Jackson, founder of the U.S.-based advocacy group Luke Alliance, warned that the arrests could be only the beginning of a larger suppression effort.
“If this is the first move, then it could get far worse down the line,” Jackson said. “But the Chinese church is far stronger than most people realize — maybe even stronger than the Communist Party realizes. And that’s part of what the CCP fears.”
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