Ezra Jin, the founder of one of China’s most prominent underground churches, has been released from prison and reunited with his family in the United States. Jin’s daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, expressed her family’s joy and gratitude, thanking God and US President Donald Trump for his role in securing her father’s release.

Background

Jin founded Zion Church in Beijing in 2007, but as a crackdown on unregistered churches intensified in 2018, he and his family moved to the US. However, Jin returned to China and was later barred from leaving the country. His family lost contact with him in October last year, prompting calls for the Trump administration to help secure his release.

Human rights groups have welcomed Jin’s release, but are calling on the Trump administration to do more to help other detained church members. Rev. Dr. Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid, described Jin’s release as ‘a tremendous victory,’ but emphasized that work remains to be done to free all prisoners of faith.

Reaction

Drexel said her family hopes Jin’s release will be ‘a signal of a positive turn for people of faith in China and relations between our two nations.’ The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the White House, and the US State Department have been contacted for comment.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.