Chinese authorities arrest pastor, dozens with house church

Chinese Communist Party officials detained dozens of the leaders of the underground Zion Church in China, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday. Among those arrested over the past few days was prominent pastor Mingri Jin, Rubio said. Jin was held in a detention center in the city of Beihai on charges of illegally disseminating religious information online, according to a letter shared by religious freedom advocate Bob Fu. About 30 other people, including pastors, staff, and congregants from the church were also arrested, according to advocacy group Human Rights in China.

The church, which is based in Beijing, has satellite groups in other cities and has been raided before, notably in 2018.

The United States denounced the arrests, which displayed the Chinese government’s hostility to Christians who refused to worship at Communist-affiliated churches, Rubio said. He called on China to immediately release the church leaders.

How did the church respond to the arrests? Zion Church called on Chinese authorities to release the arrested believers and stop harassing the church. They also urged governments and religious freedom advocates worldwide to condemn the arrests and hold Chinese authorities accountable, according to a translation of the church’s statement by Human Rights in China.

How did the Chinese government respond? Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said he wasn’t aware of the situation, and that China protected normal religious activities, according to the BBC. China opposed the United States’ interference in its internal affairs, he said.

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