Chinese Pastor Released From Prison After Trump Raised Case With Xi

Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, was released from detention in China and has rejoined his family in the United States. His daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, said the family received confirmation of the release after President Trump raised the case during a May visit to Beijing.

The congregation operated without official registration. Chinese authorities intensified a crackdown on unregistered churches beginning in 2018. Jin moved his family to the United States that year but returned alone to continue ministry work. He was later prevented from leaving China. Contact with his family was lost in October 2025.

“We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy.”

" — Grace Jin Drexel, family statement to CNN Grace Jin Drexel, a staff member in the U.S. Senate, had previously urged the Trump administration to seek her father’s release. Human rights organizations welcomed the development but noted that other Zion Church members remain in detention.

Brian Tronic, director of Freedom House’s Free Them All program, said the release brings comfort to Jin’s supporters yet leaves unresolved cases. Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, described the outcome as a victory while calling for continued priority on religious-freedom issues in U.S.-China talks.

Drexel said the family hopes Jin’s release signals improved conditions for people of faith in China and better bilateral relations.