China ‘criminalising core elements of ministry’

Luke Randall  |  World
Date posted:  14 Aug 2026
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China ‘criminalising core elements of ministry’

Pastor Ezra Jin with his family (photo: Grace Jin Drexel)

Significant persecution continues for Christians in China, with raids becoming increasingly common and house churches facing increased surveillance as Xi Jingping’s administration continues a campaign of “sinicisation of religion”.

Following various reports of raids and arrests, en spoke to ChinaAid News to ascertain what is a constantly moving situation. While persecution varies by province, we were told how the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to ramp up its crackdown on independently minded Christianity, driven by a fear of “independent civil society and loyalty to God above the party.”

Recent headlines include the release of Ezra Jin, pastor of Beijing Zion Church, one of China’s largest unregistered Protestant churches, and nine others, following negotiations between the US and China. However, eight members continue to be detained and a raid on a service at Early Rain Covenant Church has also taken place, seeing over 30 arrested.

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