The Chinese Communist Party is once again showing the world that it will not tolerate religious freedom. Over the past week, Chinese security forces arrested dozens of Christian pastors and church members from Zion Church, one of the largest unregistered house church networks in the country. These arrests are part of a wider campaign by Beijing to control how people worship and to crush any group that does not submit to the Communist Party’s authority.
Starting on October 10, Chinese police moved across several cities, targeting leaders of Zion Church, which was founded by Pastor Jin Mingri—also known as Ezra Jin. So far, around 30 people have been taken into custody, with at least 20 still being held as of this week. Among those detained is Pastor Jin himself, who was arrested at his home in Beihai, a city in southern China. He is now being held on vague charges of “illegal use of information networks,” a common excuse used by the Chinese regime to jail people they see as threats.
This is not just about one church or one pastor. This is about a government using its power to control the beliefs of its people. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), under the leadership of Xi Jinping, has made it clear that it will not allow any group—religious or otherwise—to exist outside the Party’s control. Christianity, with its message of freedom, human dignity, and a higher authority than the state, poses a direct challenge to the regime’s grip on power.
The U.S. government has responded quickly and firmly. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the arrests a hostile act and demanded the immediate release of Pastor Jin and his fellow church leaders. Ambassador Sam Brownback, who has long worked to defend religious freedom around the world, compared China’s actions to those of terrorist groups like Hamas, which take hostages for political leverage. He said China is using its own people as bargaining chips.
This crackdown is not a one-time event. It fits a pattern that we’ve seen before. During past moments of tension between the U.S. and China—whether over trade, military issues, or diplomatic talks—Beijing has often tightened control at home, especially over religious groups. These arrests may be timed to give the CCP leverage ahead of future negotiations with the United States or other Western nations.
The danger to American national security is not limited to religious concerns. What we are witnessing is part of a much larger campaign by the CCP to reshape global norms in its own image. By locking up peaceful pastors, banning online prayer meetings, and forcing churches to install surveillance cameras, China is showing the world what it means to live under total state control. And make no mistake—Beijing would like to export this model wherever it can.
For Americans, this is a reminder of why our constitutional freedoms—especially religious liberty—must be protected at all costs. The battle over freedom in China is not just about distant believers on the other side of the world. It’s about the kind of world we want to live in. If the Chinese regime can erase basic human rights at home and face no consequences abroad, it sets a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian governments.
President Trump’s administration has already taken steps to confront China’s human rights abuses, including sanctions and visa bans on officials involved in oppression. But more pressure is needed. America must lead the free world in defending those who are punished simply for believing in God.
The CCP claims it is protecting “national unity” and “social stability.” But what it is really doing is attacking the very idea that anyone can have loyalty to something higher than the Party. That’s why they fear pastors like Ezra Jin. That’s why they raid churches and jail worshippers.
And that’s why the United States must continue to speak out. Because if freedom of belief can be crushed in China today, it can be threatened elsewhere tomorrow. We must stand with those who refuse to bow to tyranny, whether they are in Beijing, Hong Kong, or anywhere else. The world is watching—and so is history.