Dozens of underground church leaders detained in what officials call the largest religious persecution campaign in years — Washington warns Beijing to “back off believers.”
China’s Communist regime has unleashed one of its most aggressive campaigns against Christianity in recent memory, rounding up dozens of pastors and shutting down underground “house churches” across the country.
According to rights advocates, the latest wave of arrests — which swept through Beijing and several provinces over the weekend — targeted more than 150 worshippers and church leaders.
Among those detained is Pastor Jin Mingri, 56, founder of Zion Church, one of China’s most prominent unregistered congregations. He is reportedly being held on charges of “illegal use of information networks,” a catch-all accusation often used to silence dissent.
Sean Long, a spokesperson for the church, told Reuters that the arrests are part of a renewed campaign to crush Christian faith outside government control.
“What just happened is part of a new wave of religious persecution this year,” Long said. “Police have been harassing our congregants for months. Many have been interrogated or forced to sign confessions for simply attending Sunday service.”
He added that nearly 30 pastors nationwide were detained last week, with only a handful released. “Some 20 are still behind bars,” Long said.
Jin’s daughter, Grace, voiced growing fears for her father’s health. “He’s been hospitalized before for diabetes,” she told reporters. “We’re extremely worried because he needs regular medication, and authorities have barred lawyers from seeing him.”
The arrests drew immediate condemnation from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has repeatedly accused Beijing of waging a war on religion.
In a statement Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the detentions “a blatant violation of religious freedom” and demanded the immediate release of all Christian leaders.
“The United States condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s recent detention of dozens of leaders of the unregistered Zion Church, including prominent pastor Mingri ‘Ezra’ Jin,” Rubio said. “This crackdown shows the CCP’s hostility toward Christians who refuse to bow to party control.”
He added, “The Trump administration stands firmly with China’s persecuted believers. We will continue to defend freedom of worship wherever it’s threatened.”
The arrests come as President Xi Jinping pushes to make religion more “Chinese,” tightening control over spiritual life in the officially atheist nation.
China’s National Religious Affairs Administration recently banned online preaching, foreign religious training, and any “unauthorized collaboration with overseas faith organizations.”
Analysts say the move is part of a sweeping campaign to “Sinicize” Christianity, reshaping the faith to align with Communist ideology and loyalty to the state.
“Xi’s message is clear — the Party comes first, God second,” said Rev. Daniel Hsu, a Chinese-American pastor now living in Texas. “Every time believers choose conscience over control, they end up in handcuffs.”
Despite the risks, millions of Chinese Christians continue to worship in secret. While roughly 44 million believers belong to state-approved Protestant churches, experts estimate another 60 million attend underground “house churches” that reject Communist oversight.
“These believers aren’t political activists,” Hsu added. “They just want to worship freely. But in China, that’s enough to make you an enemy of the state.”
Human rights groups warn that the new crackdown could become the harshest since the late 2010s, when authorities bulldozed churches and forced pastors to pledge allegiance to the Party.
As of this week, the Trump administration is reportedly considering new sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for religious persecution — a signal that Washington’s patience has worn thin.
“America will not turn a blind eye to tyranny,” Rubio said. “The CCP may fear faith, but it cannot jail the Gospel.”
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