Last Friday, Pastor Jin Mingri — known to many as Ezra Jin — sent a quiet plea from southern China: “Pray for another pastor who has gone missing.” Hours later, he too disappeared.
The founder of Zion Church, one of China’s most influential unregistered Christian networks, was detained in Beihai, Guangxi province. His arrest, along with nearly 30 others across at least 10 cities, marks what advocacy groups are calling the largest coordinated crackdown on Christians in China in decades.
The charge? “Illegal use of information networks.” The context? A pair of new laws that have quietly redrawn the boundaries of religious expression in China.
A Systematic Roundup
The arrests were swift and synchronized. From Beijing to Shanghai, Shenzhen to Xi’an, pastors, worship leaders, and ordinary congregants were taken from homes, churches, and workplaces. Phones were seized. Online platforms went dark. The Zion Church network — once a beacon of digital resilience — was silenced overnight.
“This is not just persecution,” said Sean Long, a Zion pastor now based in the US. “It’s a systematic roundup. They’re trying to unroot Zion.”
Zion Church’s visibility, vocal leadership, and digital reach made it a prime target. Its dismantling sends a clear message to other unregistered churches: the space for independent faith expression is shrinking.
The Laws Behind the Arrests
Two recent regulations have given Chinese authorities new tools to suppress unregistered churches:
Online Code of Conduct for Religious Professionals (September 2025) This law prohibits any online preaching or spiritual content unless conducted by state-licensed religious organizations. Independent pastors and house churches — like Zion — are barred from streaming sermons, sharing devotionals, or hosting prayer groups online. All content must be pre-approved, and users must register with real names. The law effectively criminalizes digital ministry outside Party control.
Church Music Ministry Blueprint (May 2025) This policy mandates that worship music reflect “socialist values” and “Chinese cultural characteristics.” Churches must submit song lists for approval, and many traditional hymns — especially those referencing suffering, redemption, or divine sovereignty — have been quietly removed. Patriotic songs are now required before worship begins in registered churches. For unregistered ones, even singing can be grounds for investigation.
Sinicization and Surveillance
These laws are part of a broader campaign known as the Sinicization of Religion, launched by President Xi Jinping in 2016. The goal: to reshape religious belief into a tool of national unity and ideological conformity.
Churches are pressured to replace crosses with portraits of Xi. Bible apps are banned. Sermons are monitored. Even worship music must now echo Party slogans.
For Zion Church, which refused to register and continued online ministry, the writing was on the wall. The September law made their digital presence illegal. The May policy made their worship style subversive. The arrests were not a surprise — but their scale was.
Faith Under Pressure
Despite the crackdown, many believers remain quietly defiant. “We are not criminals,” said one released Zion member. “We are Christians. We pray. We sing. We serve.”
But the cost is rising. Charges like fraud, superstition, and endangering state security are increasingly used to detain pastors. Surveillance is constant. Fear is spreading.
Christian Perspective
In moments like these, where laws are wielded to silence the gospel and fear replaces fellowship, we are reminded that the early church also thrived under pressure. The story of Zion Church is not just about persecution — it’s about perseverance. As believers, we do not measure faith by freedom, but by faithfulness. The gospel was never meant to be convenient; it was meant to be courageous. And while the walls of Beihai prison may hold Pastor Jin, they cannot contain the Spirit that moves through China’s underground church. We pray not only for release, but for renewal — that even in silence, the Word will speak.
Prayer Points
Pray for strength and protection for Pastor Jin Mingri and all those detained — that they may endure with peace and courage.
Pray for the underground church in China, that believers will remain rooted in truth and united in love despite growing pressure.
Pray for wisdom and boldness among church leaders navigating digital ministry under surveillance and censorship.
Pray for Chinese authorities, that hearts may soften and that justice, mercy, and religious freedom may prevail.