Pastor Ezra Jin Released From Chinese Prison After Trump Intervention

Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri landed in Los Angeles on July 4, 2026, reuniting with family members he had not seen in eight years. Chinese authorities had detained him in October 2025 as part of a crackdown on the Zion Church, an unregistered house church he founded in Beijing in 2007.

The release came after President Donald Trump raised Jin's case directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing in May 2026. Trump told reporters afterward that Xi was "seriously considering" the matter. Family members and rights advocates described the release as a humanitarian gesture tied to that diplomatic exchange.

Jin's Zion Church had operated independently of China's state-controlled Protestant system for nearly two decades. Authorities charged him and other church leaders under the "10.9 Church Case," citing illegal business operations and fraud, charges that religious freedom groups called politically motivated.

Knox Thames, a human rights expert, said Jin's release was welcome but did not signal a broader shift in Chinese policy. "Systematic persecution of Christians, Uyghur Muslims, and Tibetan Buddhists continues," Thames said.

At least eight other Zion Church leaders and members remain in detention. Organizations including Human Rights Watch and ChinaAid are calling for continued international pressure to secure their release.

The Zion Church had drawn government attention for years due to its size and independence. At its peak, the congregation drew thousands of worshippers each week, making it one of the largest unregistered churches in China's capital.