Beijing Pastor Ezra Jin Released After Nine Months in Prison

Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, founder of the Zion Church in Beijing, was released from Chinese custody in early July 2026 after nine months of detention. The release came after President Trump raised Jin's case directly with President Xi Jinping during a May summit.

Jin founded Zion Church in 2007. It grew into one of Beijing's largest unregistered Protestant congregations, drawing thousands of worshippers each week before authorities shut it down in 2018. He was detained again in October 2025.

Knox Thames, a religious freedom expert, said Jin's release is welcome but does not signal a broader shift. "Other members of Zion Church remain imprisoned," Thames said. "The systemic crackdown on religious practice in China has not stopped."

Christian advocacy groups have documented hundreds of cases of detained pastors, church members, and house church leaders across China in recent years. The Chinese government requires religious groups to register with state-approved bodies and submit to Communist Party oversight.

Jin's case drew international attention partly because of Zion Church's size and visibility. The congregation once held services in a rented theater in central Beijing before authorities forced it to disband.

The State Department confirmed that religious freedom was among the topics discussed at the Trump-Xi meeting in May. Officials did not say whether Jin's release was a direct result of those talks.

Religious freedom organizations welcomed the news but urged continued pressure on Beijing. "One release does not change the reality for thousands of Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners who remain detained for their beliefs," said one advocacy group statement.