Chinese authorities have arrested Jin Mingri, founder of one of China‘s most prominent underground churches, along with more than 20 members of his congregation.
Human rights groups are calling it one of the biggest crackdowns on unregistered Christian communities in years.
Jin, also known as Ezra Jin, was taken from his home in Guangxi on Friday. Several other pastors were detained overnight in cities including Beijing.
A detention notice verified by AFP says Jin is being held for the “illegal use of information networks.”
Church sources say at least seven pastors, including Jin, could face criminal charges for “illegally spreading religious information online.” Police searched their homes and seized computers and phones.
“This is a blatant attack on religious freedom,” said Grace Jin, the pastor’s daughter, speaking from the United States.
She says lawyers have been denied access to detained members in Beihai, and she hasn’t been able to reach her father since his arrest.
Sean Long, another Zion pastor now based in the U.S., called the arrests “devastating but not surprising.” He added, “We’re praying for the best, but preparing for the worst.”
Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007. It grew quickly to about 1,500 members before authorities forcibly shut it down in 2018.
But the church didn’t disappear, it moved online, holding Zoom services and organizing small gatherings in over 40 cities across China. That apparently didn’t sit well with officials.
“The government knows how much influence Zion has,” Long said. “They shut us down in 2018, watched us keep growing online, and now they’re trying to silence us completely.”
The arrests are part of a broader campaign against unregistered Christian groups.
In May, Pastor Gao Quanfu of the Light of Zion Church was detained for “using superstitious activities to undermine justice.”
The next month, several members of the Golden Lampstand Church were convicted of fraud, with their pastor sentenced to 15 years.
China’s constitution claims to protect religious freedom, but only state-approved churches can legally operate.
Unregistered “house churches” regularly face raids, surveillance, and arrests.
Beijing banned online religious services without government approval in 2022.
Last month, it introduced new rules banning preaching or sharing religious content through livestreams, videos, or platforms like WeChat.
The United States has condemned the detentions.
“This crackdown shows the CCP’s ongoing hostility toward Christians who won’t let the Party control their faith,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling on Beijing to release everyone detained.
When asked about the arrests, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian wouldn’t comment directly, saying only that China “firmly opposes U.S. interference in its internal affairs under the pretext of religious issues.”
From abroad, Grace Jin is deeply worried about her father.
“In my mind, we’ve played out this scenario since I was a kid,” she said quietly. “Being a Christian in China, you just know something like this could happen.”
