Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, 56, reunited with his family on July 3 after spending 266 days in a Chinese prison. 

In an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal on July 8, Jin detailed his experience behind bars, which he endured alongside 28 other leaders of the underground Zion Church. 

He described his reclamation to freedom as “disorienting,” going from a cramped cell to celebrating the 250th anniversary of America’s freedom. He wrote about the floor mats he and the other prisoners slept on, the blistering heat they endured, and the daily command to sit on hard benches without permission to stand. 

Jin thanked politicians, religious freedom advocates, and fellow Christians for their response to the arrests of Zion Church. He wrote, “Even in the bleakest moments, we took great comfort in their support.” 

Eight of his church’s members remain in prison. He called those who stood with him to continue to fight for them alongside him. “I won’t rest until they see freedom,” he wrote. 

Jin shared his hopes for his country: that house churches would be legalized, and Christians could worship God and serve those in need by sharing with them the hope of Christ. 

“My earnest prayer is that my release can mark the beginning of a new chapter for people of faith in China,” he wrote. “Freedom of religion is a universal right promised in the Chinese Constitution. I hope that all our church members are freed and that China becomes a place where all people can freely worship. 

“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.” 

Story by Bella Agnello 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email us. To support ICC’s work around the world, please give to our Where Most Needed Fund.