(Beijing — Beihai — November 18, 2025) On the 18th, the Beihai City Procuratorate in Guangxi approved the arrest of 18 leaders from Beijing Zion Church, making it one of the most high-profile cases in the recent operations against house churches in China. Under Chinese law, after the police place a suspect under criminal detention, they typically must submit the case to the procuratorate for review and approval of arrest within a maximum of 37 days, enabling detention to be converted into criminal arrest. If the suspect is not released, the procuratorate must issue an official arrest warrant. This timeframe is commonly referred to in the rights defense circle as the 37-day golden rescue period.
Global Response and Advocacy
During the past 37 days, the team of lawyers for Zion Church and the families of those detained have continued to speak out. More than 500 pastors from over 45 countries signed a joint statement, and tens of thousands of Christians around the globe have followed the case through prayer meetings, calling on Chinese authorities to release the detained pastors, elders, and believers.
Timeline of Detentions
The detention operation against Zion Church began on October 9, with Pastor Wang Lin being the first to be taken away in Shenzhen. Since then, at least 22 church leaders associated with this church have been detained across the country, with five later released on bail pending trial. During this period, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Beijing to release Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri and the other individuals who are detained. The U.S. Senate also unanimously passed a resolution calling on China to release those involved. Multiple major U.S. media outlets reported on the case, giving it significant wide-scope international visibility.
Calls for Prayer and Support
At a global prayer meeting, Acting Senior Pastor Long Xiangen of Zion Church called on Christians to pray for the detained individuals, their families, and the nearly 40 Christian legal figures handling the defense work. He expressed that the legal team is under considerable pressure and that the church is working hard to maintain the cohesion of its pastoral team.
Charges and Legal Developments
Long Xiangen pointed out that most of the detained individuals were arrested on charges of “illegally using an information network.” This marks the first time that this charge has been used to prosecute church leaders since China issued the “Code of Conduct for Online Behavior of Religious Clergy.” He revealed that multiple residences of church leaders had been seized, personal items had been confiscated, and bank accounts had been frozen.
According to publicly available information, some detained church leaders have sent messages from the detention center. Senior Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri encouraged believers not to cast away a heart of courage; Pastor Gao Yingjia described prison as if it were a monastery for pastors, adding that nothing can separate them from their faith.
Background on Zion Church
Beijing Zion Church was founded in 2007. After being banned in September 2018, it shifted to gatherings online and promoted a “walking worship” model. During the pandemic, the church formed more than 100 small-scale in-person meeting points across over 40 cities nationwide. This year, China has intensified its degree of crackdown on several house churches. Pastors from churches such as Xi’an Light of Zion Church and Linfen Golden Lampstand Church have also been arrested one after another. Zion Church states that more than 150 church leaders and laypersons have been taken to police stations for questioning to date.
Statement from China Aid Association
China Aid Association condemns this round of arrests and urges the international community to pay attention to Christians in China who are facing restrictions because of their faith. The association expresses our hopes for believers under pressure to remain steadfast in their faith and to understand that they are not alone. We pray that those individuals in power will recognize that religious freedom is not a threat to the nation.
Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid