The family of a Chinese pastor who was just released from prison is expressing thanks to President Trump and everyone who prayed and fought for his release. But Pastor Jin “Ezra” Mingri, who was jailed for nine months after Chinese authorities raided his church, is now issuing a call to prayer.
President Trump had requested Pastor Jin’s release in a meeting with President Xi Jinping this year. He was then set free from prison and arrived in the U.S. on July 5th.
In a statement, Pastor Jin’s family said:
“Thank you so much for everyone’s support and prayers… we truly witnessed a miracle and we are feeling so overwhelmed with joy. We thank God for this tremendous miracle. We also thank President Trump and his administration for their tremendous leadership.”
His wife Anna Chunli Liu also posted a statement on X saying, “Thank God, He answered our countless urgent prayers. Just when my family and I were almost overwhelmed by this immense pressure, He prepared this miraculous way out for us.”
“I also want to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone who lent a helping hand in this critical moment. Thank you, President Trump; thank you, Secretary of State Rubio; thank you, the 44 senators and representatives who signed the petition…”
Chinese officials arrested dozens of leaders from Pastor Jin’s Zion Church. Eight of them are still in prison. “At least 8 members of Zion Church remain detained in China,” Maya Wang from Human Rights Watch wrote on X. “They should all be freed.”
*** AI tools threaten to hide CBN News from your online searches! Sign up for CBN Newsletters today to ensure you can still find the latest news from a Christian perspective.***
The ruling Communist Party, which is officially atheist, views organized religion as a threat to its hold on power. Under Xi, Chinese authorities have pushed to “Sinicize” religion by demanding loyalty to the party, even within churches.
“My father started Zion in order to worship freely in a church that put God as the sole head of our church, like many faithful Christians everywhere,” his daughter Grace Jin Drexel, who lives in the U.S., told a congressional committee in November.
On Wednesday, a letter from Pastor Jin was published in the Wall Street Journal, declaring that only Jesus is the head of the church in China. “As I wrote from prison, ‘We do not oppose dialogue with the government, nor do we confront it, but rather emphasize obedience to those in authority.’ At the same time we hold fast to our beliefs, recognizing Jesus Christ as the sole head of our church,” he explained.
The newly freed pastor is calling for the freedom of those who are still being held captive by the Chinese regime:
“I spent 266 days in a Chinese prison after being detained along with 28 other leaders and members of Zion Church in October… Eight of my fellow church members, along with many other church leaders and prisoners of conscience, remain in prison. These men and women, some of the most caring people I have met, are confined in cramped cells and sleep on floor mats in blistering heat. Many leave behind young families. I won’t rest until they see freedom…”
“My earnest prayer is that my release can mark the beginning of a new chapter for people of faith in China. …I hope that all our church members are freed and that China becomes a place where all people can freely worship. A first step would be to legalize house churches alongside state-run churches in the same way China has legalized private industry alongside state-owned enterprises.”
“Such a future might seem impossibly remote, but so did my release. I couldn’t be more thankful, and pray that others still imprisoned will experience this same freedom soon. Mine is a God of miracles, and he constantly surprises me.”
His wife is also asking for Christians to keep fasting and praying for the freedom of the other believers in China:
“I urge everyone to continue your efforts to advocate for the eight pastors and fellow workers still incarcerated! They have never given up proving their innocence. They are my dear family members from the Zion Church case: Pastor Yin Huibin, Pastor Gao Yingjia, Pastor Wang Lin, Pastor Liu Zhenbin, Pastor Lin Shucheng, Pastor Wang Cong, Evangelist Wu Qiuyu, and Elder Wang Zhong. Besides them, there is also Pastor Gao Quanfu, who is like an older brother to me; Pastor Pang Yu, who is like an older sister to me; and my dear fellow believers, Elder Li Yingqiang and Pastor Wang Yi… They are all pure Christians, willing to pay the price for their faith. But they are clearly innocent, and we truly cannot bear to see them continue to be wrongly treated! Therefore, our steps cannot stop. We must continue to participate in the ‘Day of Fasting and Prayer for Persecuted Chinese House Churches.'”
The Day of Prayer and Fasting for the Persecuted Church in China is officially observed on the ninth day of every month.
MORE:
