US Demands Release of 30 Captured Leaders from China's Underground Church

Mon Oct 13 2025 15:33:43 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The US has urged China to release 30 leaders of the underground church, Zhon Church, who were detained in recent raids. This crackdown is viewed as the most extensive against religious freedom in a generation.

The US State Department has called for the immediate release of 30 leaders from one of China's largest underground Christian networks following a crackdown by Chinese authorities. Notable among those detained is Jin Mingri, founder of Zion Church, which has faced increased persecution and surveillance from the state. This crackdown has sparked international concern and condemnation as calls for religious freedom grow louder amidst deteriorating US-China relations.

The US has called for the release of 30 leaders of one of China's largest underground church networks who were reportedly detained over the weekend in overnight raids in various cities.

The list includes several pastors and Zion Church founder Jin Mingri who was arrested in the early hours of Saturday after 10 officers searched his home, US-based non-profit ChinaAid said.

The Chinese Communist Party promotes atheism and tightly controls religion, yet some Christian groups are asserting this is the most extensive crackdown against the faith in decades.

Christians have long faced pressure to join only state-sanctioned churches led by government-approved pastors who conform to party guidelines.

It remains unclear if the detainees have been formally charged.

Such systematic persecution is not only an affront to the Church of God but also a public challenge to the international community, stated the Zion Church.

In light of the situation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to release the church leaders, emphasizing that this crackdown reveals the CCP's hostility toward Christians who wish to worship freely.

Former US Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have also condemned the arrests.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry commented that it was not aware of the detentions, asserting the government regulates religious affairs legally and promotes religious freedoms.

This incident could further sour US-China relations, especially concerning ongoing trade tensions between the two superpowers.

Under Xi Jinping, the Chinese government has intensified its crackdown on religious freedoms, notably targeting Christians and Muslims alike.

ChinaAid declared this recent roundup as the most coordinated wave of persecution against Christians in over forty years, reminiscing the oppressive periods reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution.

Jin Mingri's wife expressed her heartache and calls for prayer, highlighting her distress after years of separation from her husband due to his commitment as a pastor.

Amid the tension, several house churches have echoed their calls for the immediate release of the detained leaders.

Despite the risks, Zion Church has continued to operate underground, sharing sermons with its members across the nation.