China Releases Protestant Pastor Ezra Jin After Detention Since October

China has released Pastor Ezra Jin, the founder of one of the largest unregistered evangelical churches in the country, who had been detained since October, his church announced to Agence France-Presse on Sunday.

Jin established the independent Zion Church in China, which attracted thousands of followers. Many Christians prefer to pray there instead of attending state-approved churches subject to government oversight.

The church's rapid growth drew the attention of Chinese authorities. Although the church was officially disbanded in 2018, it continued to expand by holding services on the Zoom platform and organizing small gatherings in about 40 Chinese cities.

Jin, also known by his Chinese name "Mingri," along with other pastors and church members, was arrested on October 10 on suspicion of "illegal use of information networks."

U.S. President Donald Trump raised Jin's case during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May.

On Saturday, the rights organization China Aid stated in a release that Jin had arrived in Los Angeles following his release from China.

The statement noted that Chinese officials told the pastor his release was "the result of discussions between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and was offered as a goodwill gesture coinciding with the U.S. Independence Day."

Grace, Jin’s daughter, expressed gratitude in a statement shared by a church member with Agence France-Presse, saying, "We thank God for this great miracle."

She added, "We hope this step signals a positive change for religious believers in China and for the relations between our two countries."