A sweeping and unprecedented crackdown on Christians.
China has launched a sweeping and unprecedented crackdown on Christians, targeting Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, and dozens of church leaders and members. Zion Church is a large “underground house church” with congregations across China. Dozens of its members were arrested simply for worshiping freely outside the state-controlled system.
Pastor Jin, a pastor and father of children with U.S. citizenship, was arrested at his home in Beihai, Guangxi, on Friday, October 10. According to his daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, the arrests have been “very scary” for the family. Yet she reiterated their faith in God: “We know that he [Pastor Jin] is doing God’s work.”
Take action with us in demanding the release of Pastor Jin. Sign our petition: Free Christian Pastor Ezra Jin from Chinese Prison.
Along with Pastor Jin, more than 30 pastors and church staff were arrested or simply vanished on Thursday. According to a spokesperson for Zion Church: “They broke into homes, handcuffed even the elderly, and took them away. One pastor’s mother had a heart attack during the arrest. Another woman was dragged from her newborn baby.” Some face criminal charges, including “illegal dissemination of religious information via the internet.” Witnesses report that police carried a “wanted list” and were violent during arrests.
These attacks are a stark reminder of the severe persecution Christians face in China simply for worshiping according to their faith. Though China’s constitution promises religious freedom, the Chinese Communist Party, an officially atheist regime, restricts worship to government-controlled, state-approved organizations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the arrests and demanded that Beijing allow all believers, including house church members, to worship without fear of retribution.
The ACLJ has sent a formal letter to Secretary Rubio urging immediate action to secure the release of Pastor Ezra Jin. Our letter condemns China’s escalating persecution of Christians, details violations of international law, and calls on the State Department to demand Pastor Jin’s release, confront the CCP’s abuse, and prioritize religious freedom in all U.S.-China relations.--->READ MORE HERE
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| Thomas Peter / Reuters file |
The detentions, which come amid renewed China-U.S. tensions over trade, drew condemnation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Police in China detained dozens of pastors of one of its largest underground churches over the weekend, a church spokesperson and relatives said, in the biggest crackdown on Christians since 2018.
The detentions, which come amid renewed China-U.S. tensions after Beijing dramatically expanded rare earth export controls last week, drew condemnation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who called on Sunday for the pastors’ immediate release.
Pastor Jin Mingri, the founder of Zion Church, an unofficial “house church” not sanctioned by the government, was detained at his home in the southern city of Beihai on Friday evening, said his daughter, Grace Jin, and a church spokesperson, Sean Long.
“What just happened is part of a new wave of religious persecution this year,” said Long, adding that the police had questioned more than 150 worshipers and stepped up harassment at in-person Sunday services in recent months.
Speaking to Reuters from his home in the United States, Long added that around the same time, authorities detained nearly 30 pastors and church members nationwide, but later released five.
About 20 pastors and church leaders remain in detention, he added.
Police in Beihai could not be reached by telephone for comment. China’s ministry of public security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.
Jin, 56, is being held in Beihai City No. 2 Detention Center on suspicion of “illegal use of information networks,” an official detention notice that Long provided to Reuters showed. The charge carries a maximum jail term of seven years. --->READ MORE HERE
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