PRAISE GOD!!! ALL GLORY TO GOD!!!
Baptist Press
By Diana Chandler, posted July 6, 2026 in International News, Persecution
LOS ANGELES (BP) – Wrongfully imprisoned Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri arrived safely in Los Angeles July 4, 2026, after China freed him in what is described as a ‘goodwill gesture’ coinciding with America’s Independence Day, ChinaAid and others announced.
Jin, founder and senior pastor of the multisite underground Zion Church, was released July 3, 2026, in response to talks between Presidents Donald J. Trump and Xi Jinping. Jin had been held 266 days for preaching God’s Word in the Communist nation. His family members including his wife Anna Liu and his daughter Grace Drexel, who had long advocated in the U.S. for Jin’s release, were reunited with him on July 3, 2026 in Los Angeles, according to a story first reported by The Free Press.
“We are feeling so overwhelmed with joy,” Grace and her husband Bill Drexel said in a statement to The Free Press. “We thank God for this tremendous miracle.”
ChinaAid Founder and President Bob Fu also rejoiced upon Jin’s release.
“We rejoice with Pastor Ezra Jin, his family, and the global Body of Christ on this remarkable Independence Day miracle,” Fu said in a press release. “We thank Almighty God for hearing the prayers of His people. We are deeply grateful to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and all U.S. officials who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to secure Pastor Jin’s freedom. Their unwavering commitment demonstrates that principled leadership and persistent diplomacy can make a life-saving difference.”
Jin had been detained since October 2025, when the government raided churches in a dozen cities across China, detaining Jin and 28 other Zion Church pastors. Jin and 17 others were formally arrested the following month on charges of “illegally using information networks.” While nine of the pastors were released in June on bail pending trial, Jin and eight others were transferred to the procuratorate to face prosecution, with the charges changed to illegal business operations and fraud, religious persecution watchdog CSW said in celebrating Jin’s release. More Here
