China Arrests 18 Leaders of Unregistered Zion Church in Major Crackdown on Independent Churches

Chinese authorities have formally arrested 18 leaders of the unregistered Zion Church, clearing the way for prosecutions that could carry prison sentences of up to three years. The arrests follow the detention of nearly 30 pastors and staff in mid-October and represent one of the most significant actions against independent Christian congregations in recent years.

ChinaAid, a U.S.-based Christian human-rights organization that advocates for the church, described the charges as politically motivated and said the leaders were targeted for refusing to submit their congregation to state control and surveillance. Advocates characterize the operation as the largest sweep of Chinese Christians in several years.

Their only 'crime' is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, shepherding God’s flock, and refusing to turn Christ’s church into a propaganda tool of the Communist Party, said Dr. Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid. 'By treating pastors as political prisoners, the authorities are sending a warning to independent churches: submit to Party control or face destruction.'

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly condemned the detentions and urged the Chinese government to release the detainees. International monitor Open Doors estimates there are more than 96 million Christians in China, highlighting the wider religious and human-rights implications of the arrests.

Unregistered churches operate outside China's state-sanctioned religious framework and have faced growing pressure from authorities in recent years. The prosecutions of Zion Church leaders are likely to increase international scrutiny and intensify calls for protections of religious freedom.