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It's been a little over two weeks since the leadership of the Zion Church network, a large and influential ministry in China, was targeted and raided by police. Authorities arrested at least 30 Christians, including the pastor, Jin Mingri. Observers say it's the largest such crackdown in China in years.
Zion Church is a "house church" in China—essentially, a technically underground church that operates in a legal gray area. Registered churches in China must join the official streams of the Protestant or Catholic churches. Unregistered churches like Zion Church operate outside of these regulations—but many such congregations have been allowed to grow quite large, even as their leaders often experience surveillance and occasional questioning.
"Zion Church stands as a powerful symbol of spiritual resilience in China, boldly challenging the government's push for the 'Sinicization of Christianity.'"
Shanyin*, Open Doors' local partner
However, these underground churches are also always at risk of being shut down in an instant … or their leaders could be targeted and detained. This is what has happened in China with Zion Church, says Open Doors' partners and China observers who recently shared their insights and how this crackdown on Zion Church could likely impact more churches.
To help explain what's happening and how we can pray, here are 7 things you should know about the situation in China:
Zion Church is one of the largest and most influential underground house church networks in China.
Founded in 2007 in Beijing by Pastor Jin Mingri—also known as Ezra Jin—the church has grown to over 40 cities across China with an estimated membership of around 10,000. In 2018, the Chinese government officially banned the church and confiscated all its property after Zion leadership refused to install CCTV cameras in the building. The church was then forced to split into multiple smaller meeting points, gradually extending its reach to other provinces.
Zion Church is known for its strong emphasis on writing, education, family building, community care and church planting, as well as a significant online ministry.
Pastor Jin Mingri is a prominent Chinese Christian leader instrumental in the establishment and growth of Zion Church. He is one of the most influential house church leaders in China. At Zion Church, he built a strong pastoral team, many of whom received solid training in both the humanities and theology. While other influential pastors in China have chosen silence, retreat or leaving China, Pastor Jin has remained active and vocal in his faith and service publicly. He was among those detained by Chinese authorities in the recent crackdown.
Between October 9 and 11, many pastors and church leaders affiliated with Zion Church were detained or went missing across multiple regions in China. As of October 16, 16 were released or granted bail, but 22 individuals—including 13 women and 9 men—remain detained in Beihai, Guangxi Province. Of the 22 individuals, eight are pastors, two are ministers, and 11 are church members.
The crackdown appears to be linked to the "Online Code of Conduct for Religious Professionals," implemented in September 2025. This law restricts religious content online unless it is disseminated through state-approved channels.
"Zion Church stands as a powerful symbol of spiritual resilience in China, boldly challenging the government's push for the 'Sinicization of Christianity,'" explains Shanyin*, an Open Doors local partner. "Through [Zion Church's] rapid expansion establishing over 100 congregational sites in just six to seven years, it has built a vibrant, interconnected faith network—strikingly different from the typically scattered, underground, and low-profile nature of most house churches in China."
Pastor Jin Mingri and four believers have been formally charged with "illegally using internet information." These accusations suggest that the church's large-scale and widespread online ministry and digital outreach may have triggered the arrests. The government has increasingly targeted unregistered house churches, which are considered illegal under Chinese law.
The timing of the charges aligns with the recent implementation of the new regulation, suggesting a coordinated enforcement effort. While only this charge has been confirmed so far, the escalating nature of the crackdown—including home raids, asset seizures and legal obstructions—raises concerns that additional charges may follow.
The status of the remaining detainees is still unknown.
The Chinese house church community is experiencing a mix of fear, sorrow and solidarity. Prominent house churches have publicly expressed support for Zion Church.
Other leaders have also spoken out. Dr. Zhao Xiao is a prominent Chinese Christian economist known for his view that the spread of Christianity could positively impact China's economic development. Dr. Zhao shared a heartfelt message acknowledging the pain and confusion felt in the aftermath of the detentions, but also encouraged Chinese believers to hold on to hope, quoting Romans 13:12: "The night is far gone; the day is at hand…"
This reflects a deep spiritual resilience and a call for unity and prayer among Chinese believers.
Probably. The Zion Church incident—now being called "10.9 Church Persecution," (named after the date of October 9)—is seen by many as a signal of a broader crackdown on house churches in China. The scale, coordination and severity of the actions against Zion Church suggest that other unregistered churches may also be targeted. In fact, other house churches including the Xuncheng Reformed Church were raided on the same day as Zion.
"Since 2018, under (China President) Xi Jinping's agenda of the Sinicization of Religion—an effort to make religion more 'Chinese'—the space for religious freedom in China, particularly for Christians, has continued to shrink," notes Juliana*, another Open Doors partner and China observer. "In recent years, house churches have faced increasing difficulty in finding safe places to gather, with many reverting to meeting privately in homes. The cases of detention and imprisonment of Christian leaders and workers have increased. Minors under 18, university teachers and student fellowships are under heightened surveillance and face mounting pressure, with the risk of severe consequences.
"Just prior to the '10.9 Church Persecution' incident, another large-scale crackdown occurred in summer in East China," Juliana continues. "In that operation, approximately 300 to 400 local police officers and around 200 vehicles were mobilized to target a house church group, resulting in the arrest of over 70 individuals."
Juliana believes the action against Zion Church demonstrates that the Chinese government is paying close attention to digital spaces in addition to physical ones. "Persecution in China is continually rising, in both subtle and obvious ways, making the church invisible in the public domain," she says. The authorities are increasingly aware that the online space has, in many cases, replaced the need for large physical gatherings, shifting worship from physical to virtual platforms. As a result, they are taking action—often beginning with the most visible and eminent groups. The 10.9 Church Persecution incident can be seen as a symbolic one because of the scale and the international attention it has drawn. "We will continue to stand united in prayer with the church in China, and we will continue to watch closely how things may develop."
"What we're witnessing is not an isolated incident—it's a calculated move," Juliana says. "The '10.9 Church Persecution' is a textbook example of the Chinese authorities using the tactic of 'killing the chicken to scare the monkeys.' This tactic has been used by the authorities to control the growth of the Chinese church, specifically to those [unregistered churches] who are unable to 'obey their management.' Zion Church, being one of the most influential house churches, was deliberately targeted to send a chilling message to others, to intimidate the broader Christian community."
Juliana predicts the coming months will see a steady growth in crackdowns and pressure. "We anticipate that the next wave of crackdowns will focus on three key areas: churches with strong online ministries, large and well-structured cross-regional networks, and the growing Reformed and Presbyterian systems that have gained traction in China," she says. "These groups represent organized, influential movements the authorities see as threats to their control."
She also observes that Zion Church has regularly butted up against the government in its ministry. "Even after Zion was banned in September 2018 for refusing to install surveillance cameras, it adapted— splitting into smaller meeting points and embracing a hybrid model of online and offline ministry," Juliana says. "But its visibility and impact have made it impossible to escape scrutiny from the authorities. Over the years, Zion churches across the country have been subject to government repression. Pastoral staff and members have been harassed, threatened, interrogated and detained for short periods of time by the police. Their growing scale and network for online ministries and influence are seen as a threat to the authorities. The 10.9 Church Persecution shows just how precise and far reaching the government's efforts have become."
Meilin*, another Open Doors local partner and China expert, agrees. "Under the China context, if the church gets too big, too obvious, and too outspoken, [it causes] attention," she says. "Whether the Zion Church case will be the turning point of higher control from the authorities, or just a warning of not going too big, we must wait and see."
Meilin also gives a word of caution for Christians outside of China. "If more foreign groups make a louder voice on this issue, the house churches or believers here inside China might suffer more," she says. "For now, please pray for Zion Church and pray for us."
The church in China, especially house churches, are greatly in need of our prayers and encouragement. Here's how you can pray:
Names changed for security reasons.
