Chinese Pastor Remains Detained as Wife Details Religious Persecution and Family Separation
Chinese pastor Wang Lin remains detained as his wife reveals the devastating impact of religious persecution on their family.
NEWS
Glorious Grace
10/12/20262 min read
A Chinese pastor remains in detention one year after authorities arrested him during a crackdown on an independent Christian church network, while his wife has spoken publicly about the surveillance, harassment, and disruption their family endured.
Pastor Wang Lin was arrested Oct. 9, 2025, as Chinese authorities targeted Zion Church, an unregistered Protestant congregation operating independently of the country's state-approved religious system. His wife, Su Ziming, described the family's experience in an Oct. 8 interview with Amnesty International.
Wang, a former lawyer who became a Christian in 2006, pursued theological studies in the United States before returning to China in 2017 to serve as a church leader. According to Su, Chinese authorities shut down Zion Church's Beijing congregation in 2018, forcing members to disperse.
The congregation later expanded through online worship services and Bible studies, developing a network across multiple provinces. However, government scrutiny intensified as the church continued operating outside China's officially recognized religious institutions.
In her interview, Su said authorities accused church leaders of fraud and illegal business operations. She disputed the allegations, explaining that officials had characterized voluntary tithes and offerings as fraudulently obtained money and church training programs as unlawful business activities.
The crackdown also affected the pastor's family.
Su described repeated housing disruptions, surveillance, and difficulties enrolling the couple's children in school. She recalled an incident in which a teacher gathered their school supplies and sent them home.
“The most painful thing was seeing our children unable to get an education,” she told Amnesty International.
Su also described being stopped at Shanghai's airport while attempting to leave China with the children in November 2025. Authorities informed her that she was subject to an exit ban, she said. The restriction was eventually lifted, allowing the family to relocate to the United States.
Their separation continues to affect the children, who remain concerned about the possibility of their mother being arrested, according to Su.
Wang is among eight Zion Church pastors and leaders who remained detained awaiting trial as of September, according to Fortify Rights. The human rights organization interviewed six relatives of detained church leaders in August and documented allegations of mistreatment, poor detention conditions, and restrictions on religious materials.
Fortify Rights reported that Zion Church founder Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri was released in July and allowed to reunite with his family in the United States. Other church leaders, including Wang, remained in custody.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reports that Wang Lin was detained because of his religious beliefs and leadership role. According to its database, Chinese authorities held him at the Beihai No. 2 Detention Facility and prohibited communication with his family.
Chinese authorities have pursued criminal allegations against Zion Church leaders, but religious-freedom advocates contend that the prosecutions target peaceful Christian worship and church activities.
For Su, speaking publicly is one way to draw attention to her husband's detention and the experiences of other Christian families facing similar circumstances.
As Wang remains in custody, his wife and children continue waiting for his return, separated by thousands of miles and an unresolved criminal case.
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