(United States — November 12, 2025) From November 10 to 11, a 24-hour online global prayer event, titled IDOP China, was held to pray for Zion Church and other persecuted churches in China, in solidarity with Chinese Christian pastors and believers. The event, which followed the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), brought together over 100 pastors, believers, and religious freedom advocates from North America, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, and other regions.

The primary focus of the event was the recent “10·9 Zion Church Case” in China. One month earlier, Chinese authorities launched simultaneous raids across multiple cities, leading to the arrests of Ezra Jin Mingri, the lead pastor of Beijing Zion Church, along with 23 other church co-workers. The operation is considered one of the most severe crackdowns on house churches in recent years.

Churches and Organizations Across Various Countries Join Together in Prayers

The prayer meeting began at 5 a.m. Beijing time on November 11, a time chosen to reflect the early morning prayer tradition of Chinese churches and to echo the well-known hymn “Five O’clock in the Morning in China (also known as Morning Prayers in China).”

The prayer meeting was co-hosted by a number of churches and organizations, including Canada’s Faith Chinese North American Baptist Church, Harvest Chinese Christian Church, Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, China Aid Association, Early Rain Covenant Church, Starlight Church, Mayflower Church, and Voice of the Martyrs (South Korea). It also received public support from officials of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

During the event, participants listened to a series of audio and video clips, including an excerpt from Pastor Wang Yi’s sermon before his imprisonment, as well as hymns such as “The Lord’s Love in China” (originally composed for the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization), “Five O’clock in the Morning in China,” “I Have Left All Things Behind,” and Zion Church’s adaptation of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s prison poem “By Gracious Powers” (Von guten Mächten).

Renowned Chinese evangelist Pastor Stephen Tong prayed during the meeting for the persecuted churches in China. In his opening address, Pastor Zhang Boli, lead pastor of Harvest Chinese Christian Church (U.S.), stated that after Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri’s arrest, overseas churches broke their long silence, responding with public intercession of prayers and united support.

He also noted that the U.S. Congress recently passed a resolution introduced by Senator Ted Cruz, condemning the Chinese government’s suppression of Zion Church. “Faith is not a crime,” Senator Capito, an original co-sponsor of this resolution, said in a statement.

Pastor Yujian Hong, senior pastor of Faith Chinese North American Baptist Church in Canada, cited the biblical teaching that “if one member suffers, all suffer together,” urging churches in the free world “to not remain indifferent to their persecuted brothers and sisters.”

Dr. Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, called suffering for faith “a spiritual privilege” and revealed that the association is currently working with members of the U.S. Congress to advance rescue efforts.

Family Members Shared Testimonies: Persevering in Faith and Hope

During the prayer meeting, Grace Jin Drexel, the eldest daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, spoke publicly about her emotional journey after the arrest of her father. Fighting back tears, she said she would “be courageous in suffering,” as her father had encouraged in his letter. She described the second day, before the resurrection of Jesus, as the darkest day and related it to how the current period of her life has been the most challenging time. Anna Jin, Pastor Jin’s wife, along with Pastor Long Xiang’en and Elder Kan of Zion Church, also shared how the church has endured pressure over the years while remaining steadfast in faith.

Pastor Luke Leguo Zheng from Starlight Church quoted from the Book of Revelation to exhort Christians in hardship: “The First and the Last, the Lord who was dead and is resurrected, will give the crown of life to those who are faithful.”

The online prayer meeting reached a peak of over 1,900 participants in the main session and more than 900 in a secondary online space. It was simultaneously streamed on multiple YouTube channels, with thousands joining or viewing across all platforms.

Authorities Intervened, but Prayers Continued

According to multiple sources, some Christians in China also attempted to join the online prayer meeting as it was being live-streamed. However, a few participants were reportedly questioned by local police or demanded to “go offline and stop their activities.” Despite this, within just two days of invitations being sent out, thousands of people from different languages, ethnicities, and denominations joined in continued prayer for the churches in China.

Organizers described the gathering as a step toward a sustainable prayer movement. They stated that the 24-hour continuous online meeting “transcended borders of nations and denominations” and highlighted the “shared life of the global Church.”

As written in 1 Corinthians 12:26:

“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid