China releases nine Zion Church members while keeping leaders detained

Chinese authorities released nine members of the Zion Church after more than eight months of detention at the Beihai centre in Guangxi. The released believers, including Sun Cong, Liu Jiang, Li Shengjuan and Wei Yunfei, were greeted by families and appeared to be in good physical and emotional condition.

The other nine church leaders remain in custody and now face new accusations of illegal commercial operations and fraud, charges that are more serious than the original allegations of unlawful online religious activity. The Zion Church rejects the allegations, saying its Bible‑training sessions are funded solely by voluntary donations.

The crackdown began in October 2025 when roughly 30 pastors and members were arrested in coordinated night raids across multiple Chinese cities. Founded in 2007 by pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, the Zion Church grew to about 10,000 followers in 40 cities before being banned in 2018 after resisting state‑installed surveillance. Human‑rights group ChinaAid reported the release, with its president Bob Fu stating, “We celebrate with the nine believers of the Zion Church who have finally reunited with their families after more than eight months of unjust detention.”