A Church the CCP Couldn’t Control
Ezra Jin established Zion Church in Beijing in 2007. Over the years, the ministry expanded far beyond a single congregation, developing into a network that reportedly stretched across more than 40 cities, included approximately 100 congregations, and reached more than 10,000 people through daily online devotional gatherings.
Its rapid growth also placed it squarely in the crosshairs of the Chinese Communist Party.
Unlike state-approved churches, Zion Church reportedly operated independently of Communist Party supervision. For Beijing, critics argue, that independence was unacceptable.
In October 2025, Chinese authorities launched coordinated overnight raids in multiple provinces. Jin and nearly 30 pastors, preachers, and church members were arrested in what human rights organizations reportedly described as one of the largest coordinated crackdowns on a single Christian congregation in decades.
Officials accused the group of the “illegal use of internet information networks.”
Supporters, however, argue the true issue was far different: the church refused to surrender its religious independence to the Communist government.
He Could Have Stayed Safe—But Went Back
Jin reportedly understood the risks long before his arrest.
Years earlier, he had sent his family to the United States for their safety. When Chinese authorities shut down Zion Church’s physical sanctuary in 2018, Jin was already in America and had an opportunity to remain there.
Instead, he returned to China.
According to his family, Jin told his daughter Grace that he believed he was called to remain with his congregation during its most difficult season.
His decision ultimately led to imprisonment.
As pressure mounted, Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly condemned the arrests and called for Jin’s release. Members of Congress also approved a bipartisan resolution urging Chinese authorities to free the pastor.
Despite the international attention, Jin remained behind bars.
Trump Brings the Case Directly to Xi
Supporters say the breakthrough came during President Donald Trump’s May summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Before leaving for Beijing, Trump told reporters:
“I’ll bring it up,”
According to the account, Trump followed through by raising Jin’s case directly during the high-level meeting.
Following the summit, Trump told Fox News that Xi had promised to “strongly consider” releasing the imprisoned pastor—a notable statement given Beijing’s longstanding denial that Christians face religious persecution.
Roughly six weeks later, Jin was released from detention and permitted to leave China for the United States.
Supporters say Chinese officials informed Jin that his release resulted from negotiations between Trump and Xi and that the timing was intentionally coordinated as a goodwill gesture ahead of America’s Independence Day.
For Jin’s family, the reunion marked the end of years of uncertainty.
“We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy,” Grace Jin Drexel said in a statement. “We thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership.”
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, also celebrated the outcome.
He described the development as “a remarkable Independence Day miracle” and credited Trump, Rubio, and administration officials who “worked tirelessly behind the scenes.”
A Message Beyond One Pastor
Supporters of the administration argue the episode demonstrated a different approach to U.S.-China relations—one that placed religious freedom alongside broader diplomatic negotiations.
They contend that China’s leadership had grown accustomed to facing limited consequences over its treatment of Christians, Uyghurs, democracy advocates, and other dissidents.
In their view, Trump’s decision to personally raise the name of an imprisoned pastor during a meeting with Xi Jinping signaled that religious persecution would not be ignored.
Rather than leaving the issue to lower-level diplomats, supporters say Trump elevated the matter to the highest level of negotiations.
The result, they argue, was Ezra Jin’s freedom and his reunion with his family in America.
Although Jin is now free, the story is far from over.
According to supporters, eight other members of Zion Church remain imprisoned in China.
Their families continue to wait, hoping international pressure will once again help secure their release.
For many advocates of religious liberty, Jin’s return represents more than one man’s homecoming. They believe it sends a message that imprisoned believers have not been forgotten—and that the world’s most powerful leaders can still use diplomacy to shine a spotlight on those suffering for their faith.
