Four Beijing Zion Church members have had their bail conditions lifted, a year after being first detained in a crackdown on house churches in China.
Yang Lijun, Sun Xue, Huang Chunzi and a fourth individual referred to as Tuya no longer face restrictions that were imposed on their release from detention in June this year. Conditions included travel bans, restricted movement outside of their home city and the requirement to attend a local police station when summoned.
The four were among 28 pastors and church members arrested in October 2025 as part of a nationwide crackdown on the church, which does not submit to state control. A total of 18 were formally charged with illegal use of information networks in relation to their ministry.
Eight leaders remain in prison awaiting trial, scheduled for August but postponed with no rearranged date fixed. Wang Lin, the church’s co-leader, faces charges of “fraud” and “illegal business operations” in relation to church donations and resources. Gao Yingjia, Lin Shucheng, Liu Zhenbin, Wang Cong, Wang Lin, Wang Zhong, Wu Qiuyu and Yin Huibin each face one of those charges. Their families have warned of inhumane detention conditions.
Senior Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who founded the church, was released in July after a meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping
A statement from Zion Church said the four were told to report to Haicheng Case Centre in Beihai City, with all conditions being lifted on 9 November. It added: “Bless these four brothers and sisters of the Zion Church!”
A source close to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) indicated that a fifth church member, known as Cui, had her bail conditions lifted earlier this year. Four others remain on bail pending further investigation.
Scot Bower, chief executive officer at the rights watchdog, said: “While CSW celebrates with Zion Church that bail conditions have been lifted from four members, we are simultaneously reminded of the inevitable impacts that criminal charges, detention, and legal proceedings have had on the ability to live and worship freely for these four and so many others across China.
“We call on the authorities to lift restrictions on the members of Zion Church who are still on bail, to immediately and unconditionally release the remaining eight detainees, and to cease their crackdown on unregistered religious communities who gather peacefully across the country.”
Independent house churches have come under increasing pressure from the state. President Xi has called for the “Sinicisation of religion”, that religious institutions must follow the values of the Chinese Communist Party.