BEIHAI, China – October 11, 2025
In a sweeping crackdown on unauthorized religious activity, Chinese authorities rounded up dozens of clergy and church leaders from Zion Church, one of the country’s largest underground Christian congregations. Among those detained is the church’s founder, Jin Mingri (also known as Ezra Jin), whose arrest marks the most significant suppression of independent Christian worship since 2018.
According to church sources and the U.S.-based monitoring group ChinaAid, about 30 pastors and senior leaders were initially detained over the weekend of October 10–11 in locations including Beihai and other provinces. Roughly 20 remain in detention at this writing.
The authorities have charged Jin with “illegal use of information networks,” a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison under the current regime. The charge is linked to the church’s use of online platforms and informal networks to reach worshippers. “He’s been hospitalised in the past for diabetes. We’re worried since he requires medication,” Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin, told Reuters.
A church spokesman, Sean Long, described the mass detentions as part of “a new wave of religious persecution this year.” “What just happened is part of a new wave of religious persecution this year,” Long said.
Chinese officials did not respond to requests for comment. The detention coincides with recently issued regulations banning unauthorized online preaching and cooperating with foreign religious bodies, as well as the Chinese Communist Party’s broader campaign to “sinicize” religion under Xi Jinping.
Why It Matters
The crackdown signals a sharp escalation in state-control over religious activity, particularly among Christian groups that operate outside state-approved channels. It highlights the increasing pressure on house churches in China and raises concerns about religious freedom, surveillance and the rights of worshippers to gather outside government-sanctioned institutions.
Source for Publication
Source: Reuters, “China detains dozens of underground church pastors in crackdown”, October 13 2025.
Latest Christian persecution news – China case
Source: China detains dozens of underground church pastors in crackdown
