Communist China has plenty of flaws. And the time for overlooking them is over.
Now the U.S. State Department upended U.S.-China relations with a bold condemnation.
China Detains Nearly 30 Zion Church Leaders in Coordinated Raids
Chinese authorities have detained nearly 30 pastors and staff from the unregistered Zion Church in a sweeping operation across multiple provinces, drawing sharp condemnation from the United States over what it described as a targeted assault on religious freedom.
The arrests, carried out on Oct. 10 and 11, spanned at least seven cities including Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu, Beihai, Jiaxing and Huangdao, according to reports from human rights groups and family members. Among those held is Beijing-based pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin, founder of the church, which once drew up to 1,500 worshippers weekly before authorities shuttered it in 2018 amid its growing influence.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement on Oct. 12 condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), saying: “This crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches.”
The department, in remarks attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urged the CCP to “immediately release the detained church leaders and to allow all people of faith, including members of house churches, to engage in religious activities without fear of retribution.”
Family Accounts Detail Sudden Sweeps
Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin, a U.S. citizen, told Fox News Digital that security forces arrived unannounced at residences, detaining individuals one by one. “One after another, they were also taken, detained,” she said.
“Like, they were saying that there were people outside their doors, and then one at a time they were taken into custody.”
Zion Church, operating without official CCP registration, falls under regulations deeming such “house churches” illegal, the Associated Press reported. Since its 2018 closure, Jin has faced ongoing surveillance and an exit ban preventing him from joining his family in the United States.
As of Oct. 14, there were no reports of releases, with advocacy groups like Christian Solidarity Worldwide calling the operation a “nationwide crackdown” on one of China’s largest underground Protestant networks.
Broader Context of Religious Restrictions
The detentions come amid heightened CCP scrutiny of independent religious groups, with Zion Church’s expansion seen as a challenge to state-sanctioned worship.
Human Rights Watch described the raids as part of a pattern targeting unofficial Protestant communities, which it said number in the tens of millions across China.
International observers, including Global Christian Relief, have called for prayers and awareness, noting the coordinated nature of the arrests across provinces. Chinese officials have not commented publicly on the matter.
