Chinese authorities are reportedly escalating efforts to pressure legal teams defending detained leaders of Beijing’s Zion Church, raising new concerns about religious freedom and judicial fairness.
The prominent Protestant house church has been under scrutiny since its founder, Pastor Ezra Jin, was detained five months ago in a broader crackdown that prompted calls from U.S. officials for his release.
According to a report published Friday by The Wall Street Journal, authorities revoked the license of attorney Zhang Kai, who had been involved in the case. The report also stated that other lawyers connected to the church’s defense have faced similar measures, including license suspensions and verbal warnings from officials.
Church representatives condemned the actions in a letter, arguing that the treatment of the legal team amounts to a violation of justice and undermines the rule of law.
Grace Jin, the pastor’s daughter, said the pressure on attorneys could limit the family’s ability to obtain information about his condition and effectively prepare a defense.
She currently resides in the Washington area and works as a U.S. Senate staffer. Jin’s wife, Chunli Liu, has lived in the United States since 2018 with their three children, all of whom are American citizens.
Jin, also known as Jin Mingri, was detained at his residence in Beihai, Guangxi Province, in October 2025. Around the same time, nearly 30 Zion Church leaders and members were either arrested or reported missing across several major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Eighteen individuals, including Jin, are currently being held at a detention center in Beihai, according to The Wall Street Journal. Since his detention, the family has lost contact with him, and it remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly called for Jin’s release, a position echoed by several members of Congress.
Jin, 56, established Zion Church in 2007 after studying at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. He came to faith following his involvement in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and later became a leading figure in China’s house church movement.
Zion Church grew into one of the largest underground Protestant congregations in China before facing increased government pressure.
After authorities shut down its Beijing sanctuary in 2018, the church transitioned to online services and developed smaller gatherings nationwide. Its digital services reportedly drew up to 10,000 participants on platforms such as Zoom, YouTube and WeChat.
Although China’s constitution formally guarantees religious freedom, the government recognizes only state-sanctioned religious organizations, including the Three-Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association for Catholics. Even these approved groups operate under strict oversight and control.
Millions of Christians in China continue to attend unregistered house churches, which frequently face harassment from authorities. Officials have also labeled some independent religious groups as cults and have encouraged citizens to report them.
