The daughter of a prominent Chinese pastor detained by authorities has warned of an impending nationwide crackdown on Christians. Grace, speaking to The Daily Wire, described the recent arrests of her father, Mingri “Ezra” Jin, and at least 22 other church leaders as the start of a broader wave of persecution. The detentions, which occurred last week, targeted members of the underground Zion Church network.
Last week, the Chinese government rounded up Pastor Mingri “Ezra” Jin and at least 22 other leaders from the Zion Church, one of China's largest underground networks, and detained them in a center in Guangxi province. The individuals, hailing from cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, were transported to Beihai in southern China—about 1,200 miles south of Shanghai and 1,500 miles from Beijing. According to Grace, Jin's daughter, the pastors were dressed in prison garb, handcuffed, and accused of illegally disseminating information online, with officials probing the church's structure and finances for potential additional charges.
Grace described the operation as highly coordinated: “This is definitely orchestrated by a high-up central government level” because “they were rounding up people from all across China, and they were all bringing them to one location.” She added, “It was almost simultaneous, it was orderly, and it was orchestrated all together at the same time,” suggesting government tracking of their movements.
On Monday, Grace's grandmother attempted to deliver a Bible and diabetes medication to Jin but was denied access, as were lawyers. “We don’t really know how they are doing,” Grace said, lamenting the treatment of peaceful religious figures: “The fact that these folks who are just generally always so gentle, so peaceful, so happy to serve others, are seen as this criminal, and treated as criminals, and put into these shameful prison garments, and put into handcuffs and shackles [doesn’t make sense].”
Jin converted to Christianity after the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, initially leading a government-sanctioned church before leaving due to restrictions, such as promoting communism and banning discussions of Jesus's second coming. He founded Zion in 2017 after U.S. theological training; by 2018, authorities closed its location and froze assets. Jin has faced prior detentions without charges, but Grace believes this instance signals a more serious prosecution.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the arrests, stating, “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.” He called for their immediate release and freedom for house churches. Grace, an American, expressed gratitude but noted Rubio's message was blocked in China.
China, home to nearly 100 million Christians, ranks 15th worst for persecution per Open Doors. Grace fears escalation: “We think that this is just the beginning and that there is a wave of persecution that is coming.”