Chinese underground church leader Pastor Jin Mingri has been released from prison and has arrived in the United States, nearly two months after his detention was raised by US President Donald Trump during talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Jin, also known as Ezra Jin, is the founder of the Zion Church, one of China’s largest unregistered Christian congregations. His imprisonment followed a series of overnight raids across China in October that Christian organizations described as one of the country’s most extensive crackdowns on religious activity in recent years.
His family confirmed his release in a statement, expressing gratitude to supporters and describing the development as extraordinary.
“We truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling so overwhelmed with joy,” the statement said.
The family also thanked Trump and his administration for their efforts, saying they believed the outcome would not have been possible without direct intervention by Chinese President Xi Jinping. They expressed hope that Jin’s release could signal improved conditions for people of faith in China and contribute to better relations between Beijing and Washington.
China’s Foreign Ministry has not issued an official statement on the case.
US-based religious freedom organization ChinaAid confirmed that Jin had arrived in Los Angeles after his release from custody. ChinaAid founder Bob Fu welcomed the development but noted that many others remain imprisoned because of their religious beliefs.
Fu said numerous religious practitioners, including eight members of the Zion Church, continue to be held in China.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an international group of lawmakers focused on China-related issues, also welcomed Jin’s release, describing the news as encouraging while calling attention to the continued detention of other religious figures.
Trump publicly raised Jin’s case during his state visit to Beijing in May. Following his meeting with Xi, the US president said the Chinese leader had indicated he would give serious consideration to the pastor’s situation.
During the same visit, Trump also discussed the case of Hong Kong media owner and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced earlier this year under Hong Kong’s national security law.
Jin founded Zion Church in 2007 with a congregation of about 20 people. Over the following years, it expanded into one of China’s largest house church networks, with an estimated 10,000 members spread across 40 cities.
Chinese authorities banned the church in 2018 after it refused government demands to install surveillance cameras inside its Beijing premises. Since then, many of its affiliated congregations have been investigated or shut down.
China officially recognizes only state-approved religious organizations and requires many Christian congregations to operate under government oversight. Independent or “house churches” that function outside the official system have frequently faced restrictions, closures and legal action as authorities continue to tighten control over religious activities across the country.
