In a sudden breakthrough, Pastor Ezra Jin (金明日), a prominent Chinese house church leader detained during the "October 9 Zion Church Crackdown" (「10·9錫安教案」), has been unexpectedly released after 268 days in custody. He arrived in Los Angeles in the early hours of July 4, local time, to reunite with his family.
Pastor Zhang Boli (張伯笠), who currently leads a ministry in the United States, revealed in a video on his personal platform that he received an early-morning phone call on July 4, Pacific Time, from Jin’s wife, Anna. She informed him that Pastor Jin had landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport, marking a smooth and joyful reunion for the family of six.
In a statement, Pastor Jin's daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, expressed her profound gratitude: "We sincerely thank everyone for your unwavering support and prayers. We have truly witnessed a miracle, and our hearts are filled with unspeakable joy."
According to Pastor Zhang, Pastor Jin shared dramatic details of his release over the phone. On the day of his departure, police officers arrived at the Beihai Detention Center to discharge him, escorting him directly onto a flight without ever disclosing his destination. Once onboard, he was handed his passport—which did not contain a US visa—and was informed that he was flying to the United States to be reunited with his family.
At the same time, Jin's family was notified of the development by the US government and immediately rushed to Los Angeles. After hours of waiting, they were finally reunited with him. Following a brief period of rest in Los Angeles, Pastor Jin plans to travel to Chicago with his wife.
Bob Fu, founder of the US-based advocacy group ChinaAid, stated that Jin's release is a tangible outcome of high-level diplomatic negotiations conducted between the top leaders of the United States and China during President Trump's summit in China.
As the head pastor of Beijing's Zion Church, Jin has been a leading figure in advocating for the public visibility of unregistered urban house churches in China, a movement that has faced intense government pressure. He was arrested in Beihai on October 9, 2025, during the "Zion Church Crackdown," triggering widespread international concern. Prior to Jin's sudden release, nine other detained pastors and church members were granted bail on June 18, allowing them to leave custody.
