Founder of Prominent Chinese Underground Church Released from Detention and Reunites with Family in US
Hong Kong — A pastor who founded one of China’s largest unregistered churches has been released from prison and has reunited with his family in the United States, his daughter told CNN.
Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church in Beijing, was among dozens of church members detained during a crackdown by Chinese authorities late last year.
Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, said in a family statement that they were overwhelmed with joy at his release. “We thank God for this tremendous miracle,” she said. The family also thanked US President Donald Trump and his administration, noting the release followed Trump raising Jin’s case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing in May.
Drexel added that the family hoped Jin’s release would signal a positive development for people of faith in China and for relations between the two nations.
Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007. As authorities intensified a crackdown on unregistered churches in 2018, he and his family moved to the US. Jin later returned to China while his family remained in the United States. He was barred from leaving the country before his detention in October last year.
Human rights groups welcomed the release but called for the freedom of other detained Zion Church members who remain in custody.
CNN has reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the White House, and the US State Department for comment.
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July 05, 2026
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