Beijing, China | October 19, 2025
In a stark escalation of religious repression, Chinese authorities have detained nearly 30 pastors, preachers, and lay leaders from Zion Church—one of the country's largest and most influential underground Protestant networks—over the past week, sparking international alarm over a potential broader assault on unregistered Christian communities. The coordinated raids, which began on October 10, underscore Beijing's intensifying campaign to bring all religious activities under strict state control, with activists warning that this could herald a nationwide purge of house churches operating outside the government's oversight.
The detentions targeted Zion Church, a sprawling network with roots in Beijing but extending to congregations across provinces like Henan, Shandong, and Guangdong. According to church spokespersons and relatives, police stormed worship gatherings and private homes in a multi-city operation, arresting high-profile figures including senior pastor Mingri Jin (also known as Ezra Jin), his wife, and several associate pastors. Detainees were reportedly interrogated on charges of "illegal religious activities" and "gathering crowds to disturb public order," offenses frequently leveled against unregistered groups under China's revised Regulations on Religious Affairs. As of Sunday, most remained incommunicado in undisclosed locations, with families denied access or legal representation, heightening fears of prolonged detention or forced "re-education."
Zion Church, founded in 2007, has long symbolized defiance against state-sanctioned religion. Refusing to affiliate with the official Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM)—Beijing's Protestant arm, which mandates loyalty to the Communist Party—the network grew to over 1,000 members by emphasizing biblical teaching free from political interference. Past crackdowns, including a 2018 eviction from its Beijing venue, failed to dismantle it, but this operation appears more systematic. "This isn't isolated; it's a signal to all house churches: comply or vanish," said a pseudonymous Zion elder in a statement relayed to overseas media. Relatives have appealed to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for consular assistance, citing Article 36 of China's Constitution, which nominally guarantees religious freedom.
The U.S. State Department swiftly condemned the arrests, with spokesperson Matthew Miller calling for the immediate release of the detainees during a Friday briefing. "These actions violate China's international commitments and basic human rights," Miller stated, echoing a joint statement from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which labeled the raids "a blatant assault on freedom of belief." The UK Foreign Office's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, echoed the sentiment on X, describing it as a "worrying indication of further persecution of Christians in China." Advocacy groups like International Christian Concern (ICC) and Barnabas Aid reported similar low-level raids on smaller house churches in Sichuan and Zhejiang provinces in recent days, suggesting the Zion operation is part of a ripple effect.
Beijing has offered no official comment, but state media has ramped up rhetoric portraying unregistered churches as "foreign-influenced cults" threatening social stability. This aligns with President Xi Jinping's "Sinicization" drive, launched in 2018, which demands religions "adapt to socialist society" by incorporating CCP ideology into sermons and removing crosses from buildings. Open Doors, a global watchdog, ranks China 16th on its 2025 World Watch List for Christian persecution, estimating 97 million believers—over half unregistered—face surveillance, fines, or imprisonment. "Unregistered churches were forcibly closed, and believers forced underground," the report notes, with incidents surging 20% year-over-year.
On social media, the crackdown has ignited a global outcry. X users from faith communities shared prayers and analyses, with one post highlighting China's underground movement as potentially the world's largest, numbering tens of millions despite repression. Breitbart and Christianity Today amplified calls for prayer, framing it as part of a worldwide assault on Christianity. Yet, voices like those from End Time Headlines urged vigilance, linking it to biblical prophecies of end-times persecution.
As Diwali and Christmas approach, the detentions cast a long shadow over China's 100 million-plus Christians, many of whom worship in secret to evade detection. For Zion's flock, scattered but unbowed, the message is clear: faith endures, but at a mounting cost. International pressure may mount at the upcoming UN Human Rights Council session, but for now, the underground faithful pray in whispers—for release, resilience, and a dawn beyond the raid's chill.
For More News Updates Follow Us On Www.tconews.in
