Faith
Daughter of Jailed Pastor Shares Faith, Urges Action
Faith Facts
- Grace Jin Drexel, daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin, urged advocates in Washington to defend religious liberty and called for the release of persecuted believers.
- Pastor Jin, who founded one of China’s largest underground evangelical churches, was detained along with other leaders amid the regime’s crackdown on Christian worship.
- Chinese Christians face increasing persecution, with house churches targeted for refusing government demands and enduring harsh repression for staying true to Biblical convictions.
Grace Jin Drexel shared at the International Religious Freedom Summit that she holds fast to hope and trust in God, even as she has not seen her imprisoned father in seven years. She highlighted that her father’s absence at family milestones reflects the deep cost of standing firm in faith under tyranny.
Drexel revealed that persecution has followed her family abroad and described the suffering endured by church leaders, including harsh prison conditions. Zion Church’s refusal to compromise biblical principles led to ongoing government retribution, with authorities targeting independent worship.
She explained that the systematic campaign against Christ’s church in China involves replacing crosses, rewriting sermons, and destroying sanctuaries in an attempt to suppress the Gospel. Drexel called the campaign “repression plain and simple,” urging the international community to speak boldly for freedom and truth.
She encouraged attendees to “take courage” and use their influence, stating, “As a Christian, I believe that we’re asked to take courage and to speak the truth that the God who created Heaven and earth will stand by our side.”
U.S. leaders and advocates stood in solidarity, with reminders that America’s founding values uphold religious liberty as a sacred right. Drexel concluded that her faith assures her God uses all circumstances for His purposes, and called for sustained prayer and action.