China releases prominent underground church founder Ezra Jin, who reunites with family in US

Ezra Jin, the founder of the prominent underground Zion Church in China, has been released from prison and has reunited with his family in the United States. Jin arrived in the US on Friday evening, marking a significant development after his detention during a widespread crackdown on Christians in China last October.

"We truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling overwhelmed with joy," Jin's family stated. "We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We also thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership."

Jin's release is a notable exception, as China rarely releases its own citizens following external pressure. This case appears to be a direct result of lobbying from the US government. President Donald Trump had raised Jin's case with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Beijing in May. Trump mentioned that Xi was "seriously considering" the release of jailed pastors, while noting that progress on other detained figures, such as British citizen Jimmy Lai, was more challenging.

Jin's wife and children, who reside in the US, had repeatedly appealed to the US government and President Trump for his release. Jin's daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, even testified before Congress in November, after which Trump described her as a "beautiful daughter" and promised to discuss Jin's case with Xi.

Jin, a Chinese national, is a well-recognized figure within China's underground church movement. Zion Church was established in 2007. Although its physical location in Beijing was forced to close in 2018, the church transitioned to online sermons, expanding its reach to thousands of members. Christianity is legal in China, but worship is restricted to government-controlled churches. While the government reported 44 million Christians in 2018, estimates including unregistered believers place the number closer to 130 million. Many Christians opt out of state-sanctioned churches to worship in unregistered groups like Zion, also known as "house churches."

China has intensified its crackdown on house churches over the past year. In January, members of the Early Rain church were detained, and in June, a police raid on an Early Rain gathering in Sichuan reportedly led to over 30 people being taken for questioning. Several members of Zion Church remain in detention. Last month, the cases of nine members, including Jin, were transferred to prosecutors on charges of illegal business operations and fraud, while nine others were released on bail pending trial.

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We truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We also thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership.