Last Friday, Grace Jin Drexel, based in the U.S., received alarming news from her father, pastor Jin Mingri, who informed her of another pastor's detention in Shenzhen. Shortly afterward, Jin Mingri himself was reported missing, later confirmed as one of 30 Christians arrested in what activists describe as the largest crackdown on Christians in decades.
Those detained are linked to the Zion Church network, initiated by Jin Mingri, sparking fears that this incident may signal a wider crackdown on underground religious practices in China. Recent legislative changes and surging pressure from authorities on church members add to these concerns.
Despite a sizeable Christian population in China, including 38 million Protestants and six million Catholics, many attend unregistered churches that challenge state-sanctioned ideologies. Arrests, church demolitions, and increased surveillance on these groups have intensified over recent years, particularly since 2018 amendments to religious regulations.
The authorities have been particularly vigilant in their policing of underground churches, with tactics ranging from interrogations to tightening online religious conduct. A noted crackdown in early October resulted in numerous arrests across at least 10 cities, with some members still in detention as of now, including Jin Mingri.
In response to this unprecedented scale of arrests, Christian advocacy groups urge underground churches to brace for potential further actions. Statements from church leaders convey a sense of systematic intimidation, suggesting the government is nervous about the organizational strength of groups like Zion Church. Undoubtedly, the future for both Jin Mingri and the arrested church members remains uncertain.
