On 10 October 2025 Chinese police arrived at the home of Wu Qiuyu (37) of Beijing Zion Church and arrested her in front of her two children, a daughter aged 2 and a son aged 3, as part of a severe crackdown on the large unregistered Zion Church network.
Wu Qiuyu’s husband, Pastor Yang Jun (44), was abroad at the time on ministry in South Korea, where he remains, and grandparents are caring for the children, who continually ask for their mother – they are pictured with their parents in a photo taken in 2024.
Pastor Yang recently spoke to China Aid from an undisclosed location about the effect of the ordeal on Wu Qiuyu and their children (see interview below). “We never imagined she would be taken away by the police, right in front of our two young children,” he said. “My wife was, at the beginning, not on a list to arrest. She is bearing this burden for me.”
Wu Qiuyu’s family is very concerned about her health as she needs medication for a long-term mental health condition. Since she was detained her lawyer has submitted at least three applications for her release, but all have been rejected.
Zion Church is a large network of unregistered house churches in forty cities across China. It was founded by Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, who was also detained in the crackdown of October 2025 but was released last month. He had been held at Beihai Detention Centre in Guangxi along with the eight pastors and co-workers who remain in detention. (Top row from left: Pastor Wang Lin, Pastor Gao Yingjia, Elder Wang Zhong and Pastor Yin Huibin. Second row from left: Pastor Liu Zhenbin, Pastor Lin Shucheng, Pastor Wang Cong and Wu Qiuyu.)
The so-called “Zion 8” have been charged with fraud and illegal business operations and Chinese authorities have accelerated legal proceedings against them, scheduling a pre-trial hearing for 10 August followed by a trial on 14–18 August. Legal observers and human rights advocates say the unusually fast pace of the prosecution may be tied to Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to the US in September and suggest that authorities may be seeking to conclude the case before diplomatic meetings.
Interview with Wu Qiuyu’s husband Pastor Yang Jun
Wu Qiuyu met Yang Jun in 2013 when several churches in Beijing united for a young adult ministry event. Both had been studying science but decided to pursue Christian ministry, with Pastor Yang earning a theology degree in 2012 and Wu Qiuyu travelling to the US to study theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts from 2014 to 2016. They married in 2022 and are active in Beijing Zion Church, where Pastor Yang oversees campus ministries.
With your wife, Wu Qiuyu, imprisoned for nine months, what has it meant for you and your family?
Pastor Yang: It’s very hard for me because my wife is my closest companion and co-worker. During this period, while she’s away, I often feel lonely. I immerse myself in busy ministry work, trying to ease my longing for my wife and family. She’s the bond that holds our family together. Our two young children rely heavily on her. She is the one who plans and decides what we eat each day. Without her, our family can no longer enjoy family time. There’s many happiness and comfort times lost for us.
What did that scene look like when she was detained in October 2025?
Pastor Yang: Before it happened, some believers in our district were approached by the police who asked questions about what the church’s money and offerings were used for, looking for evidence of fraud. These believers refused to cooperate, and they told us what had happened. From that, I knew the police were looking for evidence against Zion Church, and I believed they would eventually arrest me.
I had prepared for that possibility and had even talked with my wife about it. But when it happened, I was abroad. So, the police gave my wife a call and they asked if I am home. She told them I’m not in China now, but they got to my home and they changed the arrest list from me to my wife. As a result, she had no preparation at all. In the four years since we got married, she had mainly been caring for our children and had very little involvement in our church ministry.
Also, my wife has long needed medication for a pre-existing mental health condition. That’s our family’s greatest concern. Since she was detained, our lawyer has submitted at least three applications for her release, but all have been rejected.
How have your two children responded?
Pastor Yang: Our two children are very young. When police took their mother away in front of them, they didn’t know what had happened. They are now being cared for by their grandparents. Members of our church visit every week to help care for them because I’m outside China. I cannot be with them. I video call them nearly every day. Sometimes they ask, “When are Mom and Dad coming back?” “Why is it always Dad giving a call?” “Where’s Mom?” “When will she come back?”
What are the conditions in the prison where your wife is detained?
Pastor Yang: When she first went into prison, it was very difficult. She’s only allowed to write one letter each month to her family. She never expected this or prepared for it. Her heart was focused on caring for our children, so it’s been very hard for her to live apart from them.
Because of this sudden and unexpected trial, her mental state was not good when she first went in. After some time, she adapted a little, but the harsh environment makes it hard for her to rest well. She also does not have full rights to read books or the freedom to write letters whenever she wants. For a while, she has had a world map and a map of China in her cell, and every day she prays for a province of China or for a country somewhere in the world. Through our lawyer, she has shared with me which country she’s praying for now.
Have you had any direct contact with your wife?
Pastor Yang: Absolutely not, because it’s forbidden to give her a video call or any call. I can only send messages to her through her lawyer. The lawyer will meet with her maybe every two weeks and reads the letters to her. She will reply to me through the lawyer.
After certain Beijing Zion Church leaders were released weeks ago, your wife and others faced escalated charges. How do you make sense of that?
Pastor Yang: I always thought that because my wife was not heavily involved in church ministry, she would be released soon. But she was not released with the others. My understanding is that she is bearing this burden for me, because I am now outside China and continue to serve the church. I told her, “You are carrying my portion of suffering. We are one because we are married, so you are bearing a share for both of us.”
What is your response to Pastor Ezra Jin being freed?
Pastor Yang: We, the family members of the detained Zion Church believers, rejoice and are thankful that Pastor Jin has been released. I see this as a positive development. At the same time, our appeal is that the other detained believers also be released and that all charges against them be dropped.
How can believers be praying for your wife and your family?
Pastor Yang: Please pray that my wife will receive growth and strength through prayer. May God protect her physical health. Pray that my wife, who likes to study, will have the freedom to read books inside which helps sustain her. Recently, prison officials allowed her to receive reading materials, including the Bible.
Also, pray that the Lord would watch over the growth of our two young children, that they won’t lack emotionally. I pray that the Lord would give strength to my wife’s parents and my parents so that they can stay healthy to take care of the two children.
Finally, please pray for me to have wisdom and courage to continue to strive for my wife’s freedom.
Why are you speaking out now regarding your wife’s detention and your family’s story?
Pastor Yang: We are not only speaking out for our own loved ones – we are also bearing witness to the truth of what we have experienced. Through our testimony, we allow God’s truth and mighty works to reach more people, so that God may be glorified. Sharing this with the public will draw more attention and disrupt our previously quiet and low-key life. But compared to the suffering my wife has gone through, these things are nothing.
(China Aid)
Photo Credits:
Yang Jun and Wu Qiuyu with their children: Yang Jun
Zion 8 : Zion Church/China Aid