Religious worship in China is legally confined to government-controlled institutions, forcing millions of unregistered believers into independent underground networks.
Official figures from 2018 cited 44 million Christians in the country, but independent estimates suggest the actual number of believers reaches approximately 130 million.
Zion Church transitioned to online sermons to reach thousands of members after authorities forced its physical Beijing location to close in 2018.
Chinese authorities expanded actions against house churches over the past year, raiding an Early Rain church gathering in Sichuan in June and detaining more than 30 people.
Multiple members of Zion Church continue to face legal prosecution in China despite the founder's release.
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The cases of nine detained members were transferred to prosecutors last month on charges of fraud and illegal business operations, while nine other individuals were released on bail pending trial.
