Ezra Jin’s family says the Zion Church founder arrived in the United States after months of detention in China.
Published July 5, 2026
The founder of a prominent underground church in China has been released after months in detention, his family and Christian rights groups announced.
According to ChinaAid, Pastor Jin Minli, also known by his English name Ezra Jin, arrived in Los Angeles on July 4 after being held in a detention center in the southern Chinese city of Beihai since October.
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“ChinaAid welcomes with deep gratitude the release of imprisoned Chinese house church pastor Ezra Jin, who arrived safely in Los Angeles on July 4, 2026,” the group said in a statement Sunday.
Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007 and became one of the most famous figures in China’s underground Christian movement.
Zion Church is one of the largest underground or house churches in China that is not registered with the authorities. They ignore the requirement that believers worship only within registered congregations.
Although authorities closed the church’s physical facilities in 2018, the group continued to operate online, allowing it to reach thousands of worshipers.
Chinese authorities detained Jin and other Zion Church leaders during a widespread crackdown last year. Eighteen church leaders were arrested and charged with “illegal use of information networks.”
“We have witnessed a true miracle and are overwhelmed with joy,” Jin’s family said in a statement. “We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We also thank President Trump and his administration for their incredible leadership.”
Grace Jin said US President Donald Trump raised her father’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing in May. Trump told reporters at the time that Xi was “seriously considering” releasing the pastor.
“We know that this situation would not have happened without President Xi Jinping’s direct intervention,” the family said in a separate statement. “We hope this is a sign of a positive direction for people of faith in China and for bilateral relations.”
There was no immediate comment from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Maya Wang, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, welcomed the release but noted that several Zion Church members remain in detention.
“At least eight Zion Church members remain detained in China. All should be released,” Wang wrote to X.
