(Washington, D.C. — Nov 19, 2025) ChinaAid strongly condemns the formal arrests carried out by the Chinese government against 18 pastors and coworkers of Beijing Zion Church. These 18 individuals have been held under criminal detention since October 9, 2025, when the Chinese Communist Party launched a nationwide crackdown. This coordinated operation targeting one of the most influential urban house churches in China marks a major escalation in the CCP’s intensifying repression of religious freedom.

According to family members and attorneys, after weeks of solitary confinement, secret interrogations, and sustained pressure on their families, all 18 church leaders have now been placed under formal arrest on politically motivated charges. These pastors and coworkers are being treated as criminals simply because they faithfully shepherd a large, unregistered Christian church that refuses to accept state surveillance and control.

Dr. Bob Fu, Founder and President of ChinaAid, issued the following statement:

“The formal arrest of these 18 faithful pastors and coworkers of Zion Church is a shocking milestone in the CCP’s full-scale war against Christianity in China. Their only so-called crime is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, caring for God’s flock, and refusing to turn Christ’s church into a propaganda tool of the Communist Party. By turning pastors into political prisoners, the CCP is not only persecuting these individuals and their families. It is also sending a warning to independent churches across China: submit to Party control or be crushed. We urge the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release all 18 Zion Church leaders, drop all false charges, and stop treating peaceful believers as enemies of the state.”

These mass formal arrests come after years of systematic pressure on Zion Church, including surveillance, harassment, property seizures, forced closures of worship sites, and repeated detentions. The October 2025 operation spanned multiple provinces and cities and involved highly coordinated arrests of pastors, elders, and church workers.

ChinaAid calls for the following actions:

1. Urge the Chinese government to immediately release all 18 Zion Church leaders and respect the religious freedom rights protected by China’s Constitution and international law.
2. Call on the United States and democratic nations around the world to publicly condemn the arrests, impose targeted sanctions on responsible officials, and demand immediate access for lawyers and family members.
3. Call on the global church to pray urgently for these imprisoned pastors, their wives and children, and the scattered members of Zion Church. Pray that they will stand firm in their faith and be protected from further harm.

ChinaAid will continue to document persecution, support affected families, and speak out on behalf of Zion Church and all Christians persecuted in China.

Here is the list of 18 Zion Church leaders who were formally arrested:

1. Jin Mingri (Ezra Jin) 金明日
2. Wang Lin (Franklin Wang) 王林
3. Wang Zhong 汪中
4. Wang Cong 王聪
5. Cui Xiaole 崔晓乐
6. Wei Yunfei (Misha Wei) 魏云斐
7. Liu Zhenbin 刘桢彬
8. Sun Cong 孙聪
9. Zhan Ge 战歌
10. An Mei 安梅
11. Yin Huibin 尹会彬
12. Li Shengjuan 李盛娟
13. Gao Yingjia 高颖佳
14. Liu Jiang 刘江
15. Hu Yanzi 胡燕子
16. Wu Qiuyu 吴秋雨
17. Mei Liming 梅黎明
18. Zhu Mingli 朱明立