Dear Brother Archons and Friends of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate,
It is with immense gratitude to Almighty God that I am able to inform you that in response to pressure from the United States, the People’s Republic of China has released a prominent Christian pastor from jail.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, July 5 that “Pastor Ezra Jin, who led one of China’s most influential underground churches before his arrest in October, landed in Los Angeles on Friday, a day ahead of the celebration of America’s 250th birthday, according to his family. They said they were overwhelmed with joy that Jin, a 57-year-old Chinese national, was free after nearly nine months of captivity.”
On May 20, I called your attention to the unjust detention of Pastor Jin, pointing out that his imprisonment was “just the latest example of the People’s Republic of China’s determination to destroy all religious organizations that are outside the state’s control, and to replace traditional Christianity with an adulterated form of the Faith that is totally subservient to state control.”
While we welcome the news of Pastor Jin’s release, the Chinese Communist government’s persecution of Christians unfortunately continues. We thank the U.S. government for acting on behalf of Pastor Jin, and ask that it step up efforts to end the persecution of Chinese Christians. We also renew our call to global human rights organizations to act to bring relief to the Christians of China.
Above all, I ask you to join me in prayer for the Chinese Christians who are suffering persecution, that they may enjoy protection under the Holy Mantle of the Theotokos.
Yours in the service of our Holy Mother Church,
Dr. Anthony J. Limberakis
Archon Grand Aktouarios
National Commander
