UMVA has learned that the family of a prominent Chinese pastor, detained by the communist government, is pinning their hopes on President Donald Trump to secure his release during his visit to Beijing.
Ezra Jin, the pastor, was arrested in October as part of a broader crackdown on Christian activity in China. His daughter, Grace Jin Drexel, a U.S. citizen living in Washington, D.C., expressed a "glimmer of hope" that Trump could help free her father.
Drexel, who is pregnant with her third child, believes that Trump's unconventional approach to diplomacy might just be the key to securing her father's release. She hopes that her father can be back in the United States within the next four weeks, before her child is due.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Jin was arrested on charges of "inciting to subvert state power" as part of a nationwide crackdown on underground Christian leaders. He is being held in harsh prison conditions, sparking concerns for his well-being.
The family is especially eager for his release as Drexel's pregnancy has brought new joy and challenges. She shared that just a week before her father's detention, they had informed him about the pregnancy, and they are grateful they could share the news before he was imprisoned.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Jin is the pastor of Zion Church, an underground Protestant congregation in Beijing that has drawn 10,000 participants through online channels. His arrest was part of a larger wave of detentions targeting Zion Church leaders and members.
Jin's background is marked by his conversion to Christianity following the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. He studied at a theological seminary in California before returning to China to start Zion Church in 2007.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that multiple elected officials, including a high-ranking U.S. Secretary of State, have called on the Chinese government to release Jin. The international community remains vigilant, hoping for a positive outcome in his case.
