It has now been almost three months since authorities in China intensified a crackdown on Zion Church, arresting founding pastor Jin Mingri (Ezra Jin) and others spread around the country. Among unregistered churches in China, Zion was unique in that it had adopted an internet-based church growth model in the years since its main church location was shut down in 2018, establishing 100 church sites in 40 cities.
We thought this would be a good time to give a roundup of resources that can help you stay up-to-date with developments.
A great place to start is a two-part series about the church, published on the website China Change.
- Part One: A Home in God: The Story of Detained Pastor Jin Mingri and China’s City Churches, Part One
- Part Two: A Home in God: The Story of Detained Pastor Jin Mingri and China’s City Churches, Part Two
Both articles are lengthy and give a detailed history of the church and its place in the urban church movement in China.
Since the crackdown began, Zion members residing outside of China have been active in telling the story of the church and calling on believers worldwide to pray. They have set up a website called Hope for the Persecuted Church in China. This is a repository of information about Zion Church, including its history, recent updates on the situation, letters from the detained pastor, and testimonies from other church leaders and members. There are also videos about the church, as well as recent sermons by a U.S.-based Zion pastor. This site is a one-stop shop for information about Zion Church.
For those who prefer to follow current events on social media, Zion Church maintains accounts on both X (@CNZion) and Facebook (Zion Church CN).
Going back further in time, to an era of greater tolerance, in 2012, ChinaSource published two articles by Pastor Jin:
An Appeal to the American Church (June, 2012)
The Chinese Church and the Global Body of Christ (June, 2012)
Chinese version: 中国教会将要面对的明天 (Nov, 2012)
Writing about the Chinese church’s role in world missions, he noted that “while China remains the largest mission field, it might also become the world’s largest sending country.”
Finally, the persecution of Zion Church has become a matter of concern to political leaders and activists worldwide. On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China held a public hearing on “China’s War on Religion: the Threat to Religious Freedom and Why it Matters to the United States.” Pastor Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, was one of those who testified. The video of the entire hearing is available here.
As the crackdown continues and leaders remain jailed, let’s continue to pray for our brothers and sisters.
- Pray for the safety and swift release of those who have been detained.
- Pray for them to know and experience God’s love and mercy.
- Pray for their families, that they will be comforted in this time of separation.
