NewKerala.com

Key Points

China has escalated its war on Christianity by formally arresting 18 leaders of the Beijing Zion Church across multiple provinces. The arrests, triggered by alleged "illegal" use of information networks, represent a systematic effort to control religious expression. Pastor Mingri "Ezra" Jin's church, which once boasted nearly 5,000 members, has been systematically dismantled by authorities. The US State Department has criticized these actions as a severe violation of religious freedom.

Key Points: China Arrests 18 Zion Church Leaders in Christian Crackdown

  • China arrests 18 Zion Church leaders across multiple provinces
  • Pastors charged with "illegally using information networks"
  • US condemns widespread religious persecution
  • Church forced underground after 2018 closure
2 min read

China's escalating war on Christianity deepens with mass arrest of Zion church leaders

Beijing targets underground Christian leaders with mass arrests, charging pastors for "illegal" religious activities amid intensifying religious suppression

"A chilling milestone in the Communist Party's campaign to eradicate independent Christianity - Bob Fu, ChinaAid President"

Beijing, November 21

In one of the largest crackdowns on underground Christian groups in recent years, Chinese authorities have formally arrested 18 leaders of the Beijing Zion Church, according to Christian rights organisation ChinaAid. The group had been detained since early October as part of a sweeping nationwide operation targeting unregistered churches, as reported by The Epoch Times.

According to The Epoch Times, Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, stated that the detainees are accused of "illegally using information networks," a charge that carries a maximum three-year prison sentence. Rights groups say this allegation is increasingly being used by China to silence Christian leaders who refuse to submit to Communist Party control.

The crackdown began on October 9, when police in Beihai, Guangxi, launched a coordinated, multi-province action against Zion Church members. Within days, prominent pastor Mingri "Ezra" Jin and nearly 30 pastors, ministers and congregants were rounded up across China, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shandong, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan. The arrests triggered criticism from the US State Department and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Police also interrogated the wife of one detainee. Under Chinese law, suspects cannot be held for more than 37 days without a formal arrest. Earlier detainees were kept at Beihai's No 1 and No 2 detention centres, with four released on bail. Fu called the formal arrests "a chilling milestone" in the Communist Party's intensifying campaign to eradicate independent Christianity. He said their only "crime" was spreading their faith and refusing to turn the church into a Party-controlled tool, as cited by The Epoch Times.

Zion Church, founded by Jin in 2007 after he converted following the Tiananmen Square massacre, grew to nearly 5,000 members across 50 cities. Authorities shut its premises in 2018, forcing operations online, an activity now restricted under new rules banning unsanctioned preaching on the internet, as reported by The Epoch Times.

- ANI

Share this article:

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50