Zhan Ge

Prisoner Details

Between Oct. 9 and Oct. 11, 2025, Chinese authorities arrested nearly 30 leaders of Zion Church, an urban house-church network based in Beijing with influence in more than 40 cities across China. Many of those detained, including evangelist Zhan Ge, were charged 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.

Zhan Ge, a young woman who is active in Zion Church's meeting site in Jiaxing City, was previously arrested on Aug. 3, 2025, when 80 law enforcement and religious affairs officials stormed a Christian gathering, detaining at the time 21 adult Christians and six children, holding nine of them overnight. Zhan Ge was subjected to hours of intense interrogation by five male officers before being given 12 days of "administrative detention" and a fine on the charge of "engaging in activities in the name of a banned social organization." She was still receiving mental health care for the emotional distress she experienced during the first arrest when she was again taken into custody in the mid-October sweep.

The series of raids and arrests was the biggest crackdown on Chinese Christians since 2018. Besides Zhan Ge, nine men and eight women remain in detention: Jin Mingri, Wang Lin, 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, 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.

Pray for Zhan Ge to experience the Lord's protection, healing and comfort as she waits in detention and 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."