Christian advocacy group ChinaAid has urged the United States government to speak up on the detention of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, leader of Zion Church, in China.

It follows a bipartisan letter from Senators Ted Budd and Tim Kaine and Representatives Riley Moore and Thomas Suozzi calling on President Donald Trump to raise the case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Pastor Jin was arbitrarily detained on 10th October 2025. ChinaAid have highlighted his case as the latest in a nationwide crackdown on freedom of religion; in 2019, Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church was sentenced to nine years in prison, human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng remains unaccounted for, preacher Yang Rongli of Linfen Golden Lampstand Church is serving a 15-year sentence, and democracy advocate Wang Bingzhang is still in prison.

Pastor Jin's daughter, Grace, is living in the US. Earlier this month, she told Premier Christian News that she believes "God has not given up" on China, nor on her father. 

“These are not isolated abuses - they constitute crimes against humanity targeting people of faith and conscience,” said Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid. “Words are no longer enough. The Chinese Communist Party has escalated its systematic campaign to eradicate independent religious life. The United States must respond with consequences, not just concern.”

ChinaAid has called on the US administration to invoke the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials.

The group is also urging the US to deny visas and restrict entry to perpetrators and their families, and to regard religious freedom violations as a central issue in all US–China diplomatic relations.

“Failure to act decisively will only embolden further repression,” Fu added. “The credibility of the United States as a defender of human rights is at stake.”