18 leaders of China’s Beijing Zion Church have been arrested. It is an independent church which was closed in 2018. They are accused of using illegal information networks.
Beijing: 18 leaders of Beijing Zion Church have been arrested in China. Christian rights organization China Aid has given this information. Beijing Zion Church is a prominent Protestant Christian church, operating independently of the Chinese government. This action has been taken on the allegation of illegally using the information network. This crime can result in a maximum jail term of three years.
This Christian church was founded in 2007 in Beijing by Pastor Jin Mingri. Jin Mingri founded Beijing Zion Church in 2007 after the Tiananmen Square massacre. When this church expanded to 5000 members in 50 cities, the Chinese government started targeting it. In 2018, the Chinese government closed the church’s main building and confiscated its property. After this, the church was operating online. Now there is also an order against him not to preach without permission.
Pastor Jin Mingri was arrested following a raid in early October. The government is now putting the entire church leadership behind bars as part of a nationwide campaign targeting unregistered churches. Church leadership say that when the party tried to control the church, they resisted and preached their faith.