In an unexpected development, China’s communist government released imprisoned Pastor Ezra Jin on Friday, ending nearly nine months of detention after President Donald Trump personally appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping for his release during a May summit.
According to The Free Press, Jin arrived in Los Angeles on July 3 and was reunited with his family after spending 266 days in a Chinese prison. The reunion marked an emotional milestone. It was the first time in eight years that Jin had seen his wife and the first time in six years that he had seen his daughter.
His family had previously fled China and settled in the United States to escape government persecution, while Jin remained behind to continue leading Zion Church, one of China’s largest unregistered house churches.
That decision eventually made him a target of the Chinese Communist Party.
Jin was arrested in October during what religious freedom advocates described as one of the most significant crackdowns on Christians in China in decades. Nearly two dozen pastors and church workers affiliated with Zion Church were initially detained, although some were later released.
The church had grown to roughly 10,000 members without registering with the government, a requirement imposed on religious organizations operating under state oversight. After authorities shut down Zion’s main Beijing congregation in 2018, the church reorganized into more than 100 smaller gatherings across 40 cities. Its influence expanded further after it began livestreaming worship services during China’s strict COVID-19 lockdowns.
Jin’s imprisonment drew international attention as advocacy groups highlighted what they described as a broader pattern of religious persecution under the Chinese Communist Party.
In October, Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, expressed concern about her father’s health during an appearance on Washington Watch. She said her father, who has Type 2 diabetes, was reportedly being denied prescribed medication while being held in overcrowded conditions.
“They will not allow my father to use the medication that the doctors have prescribed to him,” she said. “We are very concerned about their sleeping situation. [They were] apparently put in a room with more than 30 others with no beds, and they’re all expected to sleep in a room all together. … They’re not allowing any families to visit.”
A breakthrough appeared possible in May when President Trump met with Xi Jinping in Beijing and raised Jin’s case directly. After the meeting, Trump said Xi was giving the matter “very serious consideration.”
That optimism faded several weeks later when reports emerged that Chinese authorities had barred Jin’s attorney from meeting with him, effectively cutting off one of his remaining connections to the outside world.
During the same period, the Chinese government continued its campaign against independent churches. On June 14, authorities reportedly raided a worship service held by Early Rain Covenant Church, deploying between 60 and 70 police officers and government personnel and detaining 33 worshipers and church leaders.
Despite those developments, diplomatic efforts continued behind the scenes.
ChinaAid later reported that Chinese officials told Jin his release resulted from discussions between Trump and Xi and was presented as a goodwill gesture coinciding with America’s Independence Day.
Religious freedom advocates welcomed the news.
“We rejoice with Pastor Ezra Jin, his family, and the global Body of Christ on this remarkable Independence Day miracle,” said Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid and a senior fellow for International Religious Freedom at the Family Research Council.
Fu also thanked President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other administration officials for what he described as their sustained efforts to secure Jin’s freedom.
“Their unwavering commitment demonstrates that principled leadership and persistent diplomacy can make a life-saving difference,” he said.
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins likewise praised the administration while noting that Jin’s release does not mark the end of the issue.
“I am grateful for President Trump prioritizing religious freedom and pressuring Xi Jinping to release Pastor Jin,” Perkins wrote on X. He also pointed out that eight other Zion Church pastors and members remain imprisoned, urging supporters to continue praying for their release and emphasizing that religious freedom is “a fundamental human right.”
For Jin’s family, the reunion was deeply personal.
In a statement following his arrival in the United States, Grace Jin Drexel called her father’s release “a miracle.”
“We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle,” she said.
She also expressed gratitude to President Trump and his administration, adding that she believes her father’s release likely would not have occurred without direct intervention from Xi Jinping.
The family concluded its statement by expressing hope that Jin’s release could represent a positive step for both religious believers in China and future relations between the United States and China, even as concerns remain about other Christians who continue to face detention and persecution under the Chinese government.
