(Cambridge, Massachusetts — April 10, 2026) As Beijing has in recent years continued to tighten legal and administrative restrictions on unregistered religious groups, a dialogue on faith, survival, and transnational witness is about to unfold on the Harvard campus.
Harvard Divinity School has announced that it will host a symposium next Monday (April 13) titled “Voices of Faith Under Persecution.” The event is not only an academic exchange, but also a deep examination of the situation facing China’s house churches amid a global contraction of religious freedom.
At the center of the event is Grace Jin Drexel. Her father is Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri (金明日), leader of Beijing’s well-known house church, Zion Church.
Zion Church was once one of the largest “underground” (house) Christian churches in Beijing. However, in 2018, it was shut down by authorities after refusing to install surveillance cameras in its sanctuary, and Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was subsequently imprisoned. Grace Jin’s personal testimony is expected to reveal the family’s brokenness and steadfast faith that lie behind broader narratives.
The event will be moderated by Xi Lian, a professor at Duke Divinity School and a renowned scholar of Chinese Christian history. Professor Xi Lian has long studied the tensions between grassroots religion and state power in China, and his participation brings a measured historical perspective to the deeply personal sharing.
Event Details
Theme: China’s Crackdown on Persecuted Churches, Voices of Faith Under Persecution
Date: April 13, 2026
Location: Harvard Divinity School (see campus announcement for specific venue)
Speaker: Grace Jin Drexel (daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri)
Moderator: Professor Xi Lian
Audience: Open to the public
At a time when transnational repression and ideological influence have become prominent topics in Washington, such an event is expected to draw significant attention from scholars and activists focused on human rights and religious politics in Asia.
Gao Zhensai, Special Correspondent for ChinaAid