Pastor Ezra Jin

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, all Americans--but I can't speak for all Americans. But I want to thank President Trump for his efforts to release Pastor Ezra Jin after 266 days in Chinese captivity.

Pastor Jin started Zion Church in 2007 to share his love of God, to serve others, and to worship peacefully. Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, his church and its community were among the first responders. They even hosted blood drives in Beijing to help those who were impacted by the earthquake.

But on October 10, last year, Pastor Jin was detained with other leaders in the Zion Church.

Now, you might find yourself asking: Why was he arrested?

In communist governments, any belief system that places moral authority and fosters independent communities beyond government control is a challenge to the regime in power. This Senator does not see how preaching the love of Jesus Christ is a threat to any communist government, but they do.

That is why the Chinese Communist Party seeks to control religion through state-run religious organizations. Today, authorities suppress independent churches and target any individuals who worship outside of the state-sanctioned controlled institutions.

Many Christians seeking to practice their faith free of government control have to fear their identity being discovered and then facing punishment or even imprisonment.

This is precisely what happened to Pastor Jin. His only offense was leading an independent Christian congregation and exercising his fundamental freedom to worship without Chinese Government interference.

In November of 2025, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution that condemned the Chinese Communist Party's persecution of religious groups, including Pastor Jin and the leaders of the Zion Church.

In March of this year, I joined a congressional letter to President Trump asking that he advocate for Pastor Jin's release in a meeting that he recently had with the Chinese President.

Today, we can celebrate that Pastor Jin is finally free. But our work is not finished. We must continue to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves and stand firmly in defense of religious freedom.

Along this same line--not in China but someplace in Africa--I heard yesterday, in my attendance at the 105th Cedar Falls, IA, Bible Conference, that there has been a pastor in Africa that has been kidnapped, and they wanted us to pray for him. And, hopefully, our government is helping, to some extent, to free him as well.

I don't know his name. They didn't want to give out the name.

But this stuff that happens in China and around the world, you can't understand how it can happen because it seems to me the peaceful approach of Christians is something that shouldn't be challenged or feared by any type of government anyplace on this globe.

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