China's church grows under pressure, says pastor Jin
Ezra Jin, leader of Zion, was released in July and asks for prayer for eight colleagues still imprisoned.
Pastor Ezra Jin, leader of the Zion Church, says the church in China keeps growing despite government persecution, according to NoticiaCristiana.com. Jin was released in July, after months in prison.
The faith that pressure did not extinguish
Jin maintains that the offensive against Christians strengthened the faith of many believers. He is convinced that this faith will bear abundant fruit when the environment changes. He does not expect a shortcut: he expects a harvest.
In October 2025, a series of raids in different cities ended with him and other Zion leaders detained, NoticiaCristiana.com reported. Freedom came months later.
«No prison stops what God is building»
The pastor now lives with his family in the United States. From there he asked that more believers join his prayer and that President Xi Jinping stop the persecution, he told The Christian Post. And what he asks for is prayer.
More than 100 churches in three years
In three years, his congregation opened more than 100 churches. Today the network meets in about 40 cities, in homes, restaurants and other spaces, and has thousands of members.
In 2018, the government banned the Zion Church. The reason: its leaders refused to allow surveillance cameras to be installed at the Beijing headquarters. Since then, other congregations in the same network have been investigated and shut down.
Jin compares two eras. Protestants in China numbered about 700,000 before 1949. Today, the estimates he cites from NoticiaCristiana.com exceed 80 million.
That growth did not come from a quiet country. Jin maintains that persecution has not stopped the advance of the Christian faith in China.
"I believe that, as long as I am alive, I will see China experience another enormous revival," the pastor said.
The eight still imprisoned
Jin's release did not close the case. Eight Zion leaders remain in jail, and he keeps asking for their release. They are still waiting.
His confidence does not rest on a change of government. "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18, ESV).
No prison stops what God is building. Church history repeats it again and again.
For anyone who follows Jesus in Phoenix, Madrid or Mexico City, the story of Zion says something concrete: the church grows where people pray and preach, not where it is permitted. And it grows with names and surnames, not with statistics.
If you want to stand with those eight brothers, pray this week for them and for their families. Also pray for the believers who meet in homes and restaurants in China, that their faith may not be extinguished. What would you ask God for his church? Tell us in the comments.
