Wang Lin

Prisoner Details

On Oct. 9, 2025, Pastor Wang Lin, 42, was the first Christian leader arrested in a crackdown on Zion Church, an urban house-church network based in Beijing with influence in more than 40 cities across China. Authorities charged Wang with "illegally using an information network" on the grounds that the church conducts online worship services. This charge carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.

Nearly 30 church leaders were reportedly detained by police during the mid-October sweep, which was the biggest crackdown on Chinese Christians since 2018. Besides Pastor Wang Lin, eight men and nine women remain in detention: Jin Mingri, Liu Jiang, Sun Cong, Gao Yingjia, Yin Huibin, Liu Zhenbin, Lin Shucheng, Wang Zhong, Wang Cong, Wei Yunfei, Zhu Mingli, Wu Qiuyu, Li Shengjuan, Hu Yanzi, Zhan Ge, An Mei and Mei Liming.

"Their only 'offense' is worshiping God peacefully, preaching the gospel faithfully, shepherding their flock and serving their neighbors," church leaders said in a statement on Oct. 12.

Founded in 2007, Zion Church has grown rapidly, reaching an estimated 1,500 members in Beijing by 2018 when it was shut down by authorities. During the coronavirus pandemic, the church shifted to online meetings and outdoor small group gatherings, hosting up to 10,000 participants for its regular gatherings.

Wang Lin is a former lawyer who later entered full-time ministry. In 2017, he earned a PhD in Old Testament theology from Wheaton College in Illinois. After returning to China, he led Beijing Zion Church with Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri. Following the church's ban by authorities in 2018, Wang Lin relocated to Shanghai, where he continued pastoral work, maintaining church life through small gatherings and online preaching.

Since June 2025, Wang Lin's family has repeatedly faced harassment from the local public security and religious affairs department, forcing them to relocate frequently. Church members state that landlords were pressured each time they rented a home, and the children's schooling was repeatedly disrupted.

After Wang Lin's arrest, his wife, Su Ziming, was issued an exit ban, prohibiting her from leaving China. On Nov. 13, she too was detained on the same charges but has since been released. A source close to the case said the detention of Su Ziming was likely an attempt by Chinese Communist authorities to pressure Pastor Wang Lin into admitting guilt and aiding the prosecution of other church members.

Pray for the spiritual strength and encouragement of Pastor Wang Lin and for the protection and provision for his wife, Su Ziming, and their two young children. Pray also for the other Zion Church leaders as they face prosecution and imprisonment. Pray, as the church's leaders have requested, that "those in chains for Christ will be completely free in Christ."