In the Washington DC area, you get the chance to meet a lot of different people from all around the world. If you are an interpreter or translator in the Washington DC area, you have even more opportunities to meet a wide variety of people. Sean Song, the owner of Translation Boulevard, provides Translation and Interpretation Services in Washington, DC. He recently had the honor of interpreting for the famous Pastor Ezra Jin, who was detained by Chinese authorities but later released at the request of President Trump. President Trump approached Chinese President Xi Jinping and asked for Jin’s release. He was released on July 4, 2026. This was considered to be a gift from China to President Trump for America’s 250-year anniversary.
It is rare for a Christian minister detained by the Chinese authorities to be released. As a result, many people, including Chinese American Christians, were surprised by Jin’s sudden release. There are still many Christian ministers, including those from the same church as Pastor Ezra Jin, who are still detained in jail. The purpose of this article is not to discuss politics and religion, but to outline Sean Song’s experiences with Jin. Sean Song was invited to translate for Jin because he was certified by the American Translators Association, and he is also a certified Mandarin interpreter certified by the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review program.
Praying for His Release
Shortly before the sudden release of Pastor Ezra Jin, some Chinese Christians leaders in the MDV (Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia area) organized a prayer gathering at the Chinese Christian Church of Greater Washington DC. This event was scheduled before his sudden release, but was held after his release. We were not only praying for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin, but were also praying for the release of other members of Zion Church in China. We were also praying for the persecuted Chinese church at large.
At the meeting, Sean Song met Anna Liu, Pastor Ezra Jin’s wife. She gave a keynote speech about their experience of being separated and persecuted in China. She also shared how Pastor Ezra Jin was used by God to start a movement through the Zion Church in China. This movement started from a local church in Beijing, but it spread across China through online gatherings during COVID. After that, Pastor Ezra Jin was not allowed to leave China to visit his family in the U.S. for many years. Recently, he was arrested and detained in jail for almost one year. By the time this prayer gathering took place, Pastor Jin had already been released, but he did not attend this gathering as he was still suffering from jet lag.
(Sean Song and Anna Liu, Pastor Ezra Jin’s wife, were together in a prayer meeting for the persecuted church in China.)
(Sean Song is the founder of Translation Boulevard, which provides Washington DC Translation Services and Washington DC Interpretation Services.)
Attracting the World’s Attention and Many Interview Requests
Pastor Jin’s sudden release attracted the world’s attention and the media’s interest. They asked to interview Pastor Ezra Jin about his experience of being released. They also wanted to ask him about his views on Christian persecution in China or on the status of other members of the Zion church. Sky TV is one of the global media networks that has reported on Pastor Ezra Jin and the Zion church. They have done quite a bit of reporting and quite a number of interviews on this matter. The Sky TV China journalist, Helen-Ann Smith, and her team did some excellent reporting about Jin. You can watch these news videos at this link. These reporters were very brave, and they even visited the homes of Chinese Christians to report on the persecution of the Zion church. This interview in Washington, D.C. is a continuation of the first report they did in China.
One of my clients, American Language Services, recommended me to Sky TV Beijing’s hiring manager, Harry Stevens. He told me he picked me because of my journalism education and journalist career background. I graduated from Communication University of China with a B.A. degree in journalism, and I also got my masters in Global Communication from the London School of Economics and the University of Southern California respectively. In addition, I worked as a Chinese journalist for City Magazine, Singtao Daily and World Journal in America for several years.
I also told Harry Stevens that I had a Doctor of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary and am a part of the Chinese Christian ministers organization in the greater Washington D.C. area. I also told him I met his wife a week before at a prayer gathering for Jin’s release and for the persecuted believers in the Chinese Christian church. Harry said, “It’s such a small world!”
When I told my wife about this special assignment, she said to me, “You are in a unique position to carry out this assignment. You are an interpreter in the Washington D.C. area and also have a Doctor of Ministry degree. You are in a unique position to interpret in Christian religious settings.”
(Translation Boulevard provides Washington DC Translation Services and Washington DC Interpretation Services.)
Simultaneous Interpreting Through Zoom Meeting while On Site
When I was hired for my interpretation services, I was booked for five hours starting at 8:30 a.m. The meeting was to take place in the home of Pastor Jin’s daughter, Grace, in a beautiful suburb of Washington, D.C. Grace, her husband and family had made great sacrifices, just as Pastor Ezra Jin did. They played a crucial role in facilitating the release of Pastor Ezra Jin.
I arrived at Grace’s home right on time. During the interviews, the SKY TV crew was very professional. Pastor Ezra Jin told me they were very professional in their interactions with him, and that was why he had accepted this TV interview in the first place. This was the first TV interview he had accepted.
The journalist understood some Mandarin but was not fully fluent, so they wanted me to do some simultaneous interpreting while I was onsite. Since I was interpreting in a small setting, there was no simultaneous interpreting equipment available. However, we were able to use Zoom to facilitate the simultaneous interpreting. I was very impressed with the crew’s creativity in utilizing Zoom for simultaneous interpretation.
Simultaneous interpreting is a demanding job that takes constant concentration and focus. During these types of assignments usually, there are usually two interpreters available to take turns. But since we did not expect that the interview would take more than one hour, I was the only interpreter available. However, because this was Pastor Ezra Jin’s first TV interview, he had a lot to say. I interpreted for more than two hours straight!
However, due to my past experience with simultaneous interpreting and my extensive knowledge of Christianity and of the persecution of the Chinese church, my job went smoothly. I was very happy to have this chance to serve as a Mandarin interpreter in this capacity.
(Translation Boulevard provides Washington DC Translation Services and Washington DC Interpretation Services.)
How Sean Song and Translation Boulevard Can Help With Your Next Interpreting Need
Sean Song is personally able to interpret from English to Mandarin and Mandarin to English. He is also a translator from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English. Translation Boulevard can help you bridge the language gap.
Translation Boulevard provides Washington DC Translation Services and Washington DC Interpretation Services. Feel free to call us at 202-992-2626 or visit our website www.translationblvd.com or email us at contact@translationblvd.com. Translation Boulevard works with language specialists, translators and interpreters in the Washington, D.C. area to serve your translation and interpretation needs.