Pastor Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, has been released from detention in China and reunited with his family in the U.S., according to reports from ChinaAid and other advocacy groups. Jin arrived in Los Angeles on Friday.
Chinese authorities informed Jin that his release was a result of negotiations between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Jin was one of nearly 30 Zion Church pastors and staff members detained in October during a significant crackdown on evangelical churches in China, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Luke Alliance.
During a state visit to Beijing in May, Trump directly raised Jin's case with Xi. Upon his return to the U.S., Trump told reporters that Xi had promised to "strongly consider" the pastor's release.
Jin's daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, expressed joy and gratitude, stating, "We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle." She also thanked President Trump and his administration for their leadership, adding that the release would not have been possible "without the direct intervention from Chairman Xi Jinping."
The family had been separated for nearly a decade. Drexel's mother and brothers fled China in 2018 after authorities shut down Zion Church's Beijing sanctuary. Drexel had not seen her father in person since 2020.
The detentions of Zion Church members drew international attention, with advocacy groups like ChinaAid labeling the arrests as "politically motivated" and a "dramatic escalation in the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) war on religious freedom."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio had denounced the detentions in October and called for the release of the detained individuals. Ahead of his May trip to Beijing, Trump had vowed to press Xi on Jin's case.
A U.S. official confirmed that President Trump raised Pastor Jin’s detention directly with Xi Jinping and also brought up the case of Jimmy Lai. ChinaAid celebrated Jin's release, thanking the Trump administration for its efforts. However, the organization noted that eight other Zion Church pastors and members, along with practitioners from other religions, remain imprisoned by the Chinese government.
Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, Founder and President of ChinaAid, stated, "We rejoice with Pastor Ezra Jin, his family, and the global Body of Christ on this remarkable Independence Day miracle." He added, "We are deeply grateful to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and all U.S. officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure Pastor Jin’s freedom." Fu urged the administration to continue prioritizing religious freedom and the release of all prisoners of faith in engagements with Beijing.