More than 30 church leaders and believers have been detained or disappeared, according to Zion Church.
China’s communist regime has launched a broad clampdown on pastors and members of one of the largest unregistered house churches in the nation, drawing criticism from current and former U.S. officials, as well as human rights groups.
Zion Church said in an Oct. 12 statement that China had launched a “sweeping operation” across five provinces, Beijing, and Shanghai three days earlier, detaining or disappearing more than 30 church leaders and members. The statement was shared by ChinaAid, a Texas-based human rights advocacy group.
The church stated that its worship venues were “raided and sealed,” property was confiscated, and family members of church members were harassed.
“All detained pastors and members of Zion Church are innocent Christians. Their only ‘offense’ is worshiping God peacefully, preaching the Gospel faithfully, shepherding their flock, and serving their neighbors,” the church’s pastoral team said in a statement. “These acts of faith are protected under both the Constitution of China and international human rights law.”
On Oct. 12, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over its decision to target Zion Church.
“This … further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches,” Rubio said.
“We call on the CCP to immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith, including members of house churches, to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution.”
Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri
Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was detained at his home in Beihai, a city in China’s Guangxi Province, on Oct. 10. His daughter, Grace Jin, who lives in the United States, believes that the CCP’s latest campaign has to do with Zion Church’s growing influence and challenge to its rule.
“Zion blew up after COVID, so that irked the government,” she said.
She said her father brought the family to the United States after Chinese authorities began targeting Zion Church in 2018. However, he later returned to China despite knowing the risks, she said, noting that they haven’t seen each other in six years.
“He felt that, as a pastor, he had to be with the flock,” she said. “He had always been prepared for something like this.”
By Frank Fang
