The United States has issued a call for the immediate release of Christian leaders detained by Chinese authorities on Friday.
Pastor Jin Mingri of the Zion Church was apprehended in his home Friday evening along with fellow leaders across at least five additional provinces, as reported by the Associated Press.
Potential charges could include “illegal dissemination of religious content via the internet,” according to Sean Long, a pastor from the Chinese Zion Church currently studying in the U.S.
“This is a profoundly distressing situation,” Long remarked. “It represents a serious violation of religious freedom, a right enshrined in the Chinese constitution. We urge the immediate release of our pastors.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), stating that the Trump administration “denounces the recent detention of dozens of leaders from the unregistered house Zion Church in China, including the well-known pastor Mingri ‘Ezra’ Jin.” This condemnation was published in a statement on the State Department’s website.
“This crackdown starkly illustrates the CCP’s animosity towards Christians who resist Party interference in their beliefs and opt to worship in unregistered house churches,” Rubio added.
The Secretary called on the CCP to release the detained church leaders promptly and to guarantee that all individuals of faith, including members of house churches, can practice their religion freely and without fear.
In response, the Chinese government delivered a sharp retort.
“The Chinese government manages religious affairs in accordance with the law and safeguards the religious freedom of its citizens and their routine religious practices. We firmly oppose the U.S. interfering in China’s internal matters, particularly regarding so-called religious issues,” stated Lin Jian, a representative from the Chinese foreign ministry, as reported by the BBC.
Grace Jin, Pastor Jin’s daughter, claimed that around 30 individuals were arrested during the crackdown, which targets a church that boasts multiple branches and draws approximately 1,000 attendees weekly, according to a report by the New York Times.
Grace Jin reported that her father faces charges related to the illegal dissemination of religious information amid a broader campaign against Christianity spearheaded by President Xi Jinping. She noted that he has been under close surveillance since 2018 and has been prohibited from leaving China. This monitoring has intensified following a recent law restricting online religious activity to state-sanctioned entities. Grace conveyed that he had recently considered resigning and departing the country, but officials informed him he is not permitted to leave.
“After such a blatant display of force, it felt like a significant event was imminent; we just didn’t know when or how severe it would be,” Grace Jin observed. “My dad, however, is somewhat of an optimist.”
“His attitude is, ‘I can’t live in fear every day, so I must continue doing what I need to do,’” she said.
Corey Jackson, founder of Luke Alliance, a U.S.-based group advocating for the rights of Christians in China, suggested that these detentions might represent a preliminary step in a much larger campaign.
“If this is merely the first phase, things could deteriorate significantly for Christians down the line,” he asserted, noting that such actions will not quell the spirit of Chinese Christians.
“The resilience of the Chinese church likely surpasses what the world, or even the Communist Party, comprehends. That is fundamentally the challenge the Party is facing,” he emphasized.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal.
