On Friday, Grace Jin Drexel, daughter of prominent pastor Jin Mingri, received a message from her father informing her of another pastor’s detention in Shenzhen. Shortly after, Drexel learned that her father had also been detained amidst what activists are calling one of the largest arrests of Christians in China in decades. This event involved 30 members associated with the Zion Church network, founded by Jin Mingri, raising concerns about a potential broader crackdown on underground churches.
China has a significant Christian population, with government estimates suggesting around 38 million Protestants and nearly six million Catholics, although many churchgoers attend unregistered, underground churches. These groups often face increasing restrictions from the government, including property demolitions and bans on religious materials. In recent years, authorities instituted stricter regulations governing religious activities and began calling for the “sinicisation” of religion, leading many underground churches to migrate to online services or discontinue public worship.
In May, another pastor was detained, and in June, multiple members of a church in Shanxi received prison sentences. The Chinese government recently introduced a code of conduct for religious personnel that limits online sermons to licensed groups, further targeting underground church activities.
Following the recent arrests, Jin Mingri appeared to be held under suspicion of “illegal use of information networks” in Beihai Number Two prison. While some detained members have since been released, many remain in custody. Advocacy groups like Open Doors express concern that this coordinated crackdown may be a significant movement against organized religious entities within China.
The Chinese embassy responded to international criticism by stating that citizens enjoy religious freedom as long as it complies with local laws. The recent actions against Zion Church raise queries about the future of religious practices in China and whether this marks the continuation of a trend against unregistered churches.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2pez2vg8wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss