In 2025, the global church bid farewell to many significant figures. For the church in China, the loss was also profound. We said goodbye to centenarian pioneers who carried the torch through the tumultuous 20th century, cultural scholars who bridged faith and society, and grassroots pastors who wrestled with theology in the soil of the local church.
As we close this year, China Christian Daily honors the memory of these faithful servants. They have rested from their labors, but their deeds follow them.
The Guardians of History
Rev. Dai Lizhen (1918–2025): The First Female Pastor Ordained in Post-Opening Shanghai
On February 14, Rev. Dai Lizhen, the oldest pastor in Shanghai, passed away at the age of 106. Her life was a living history of the Chinese church. Born into a Methodist family, she remained single all her life, dedicating herself to the Lord.
During the years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, she experienced God as her true "refuge" (Psalm 46:1) amidst danger and displacement. In 1954, she traveled alone to the Yunnan province to preach the gospel, responding to God's call with a simple promise: "If You want me to go, I will go."
Decades later, on December 20, 1981, she was ordained at Moore Memorial Church, becoming the first female pastor ordained in Shanghai after the reopening of churches. She served the congregation for decades, retiring at 80 but continuing to pray for the flock. A verse from Joshua hung in her home until the end: "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."
Rev. Lin Shengben (1927–2025): The Pioneer of Chinese Sacred Music
On March 6, Rev. Lin Shengben passed away in Shanghai at the age of 98. If Rev. Dai represented the history of the church, Rev. Lin represented its sound. They were ordained together at the same ceremony in 1981.
As a key editor of the Chinese New Hymnal, his compositions like "Jesus, the Bright Morning Star" have been sung by millions of Chinese believers.
Trained by Western missionaries and later at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary, Lin dedicated his life to the "indigenization" of Christian music, blending biblical truth with Chinese musical aesthetics.
His daughter recalled him as a father who guided his children to be faithful, leaving a legacy that "ignites a fire of love for the Lord in future generations."
Faith in Culture and the Public Square
Daozi (1956–2025): The Artist Who Painted with "Saintism"
On September 1, renowned art critic, poet, and Tsinghua University professor Daozi (Wang Min) passed away from leukemia at 69. Daozi was a unique voice in China's contemporary art scene, pioneering "Saintism Ink-Wash Painting"—a fusion of Christian faith and traditional Chinese ink techniques.
In 2015, his monumental work "God and Gold" was awarded the 20th Art Prize by the Misereor Foundation for Social Development. This masterpiece was reproduced on more than 3,000 large-scale canvases and displayed on church altars across Europe.
Daozi viewed art not merely as a religious expression but as a lifelong spiritual pursuit. His work expanded the visibility and depth of Christian art within China's public cultural space.
Fu Guoyong (1967–2025): The Historian with a Childlike Heart
On July 7, renowned public intellectual, historian, and committed Christian Fu Guoyong died suddenly of a heart attack at 59. Known for his biographies, such as Biography of Jin Yong, and his research on modern Chinese history, Fu was celebrated for his rigorous scholarship and his emphasis on "truth" in history.
Beyond academia, Fu was deeply invested in holistic education. He developed curricula that helped children engage meaningfully with their mother tongue and the wider world.
To the Christian community, Fu was more than a scholar; he was a brother with a "sincere and childlike soul." A Christian intellectual paid tribute online, describing his writing as "neither slick nor dull, but pure," reflecting a life transformed by faith. A student wrote in a memorial poem: "Time is like a mill, and God transforms all things."
The Pastor and The Poet
Rev. Liang Pu (1970–2025): A Voice from "Jerusalem of China"
On May 17, Liang Pu, senior pastor of Lingxi Gospel Church in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, passed away at 55 following complications from a liver transplant.
A multifaceted figure—poet, legal scholar, and theologian—Rev. Liang journeyed from an Adventist background to embracing Reformed theology.
He founded the "Wheatfield Ministry" and the online "Mai Di Reading Club," engaging thousands in theological dialogue. A local pastor described him as "the most poetic pastor in Wenzhou."
Sister Pan, a co-worker in Christian media, captured the essence of his sacrificial calling in her tribute: "Had he not become a pastor, this top student... could have been a poet, writer, lawyer, or entrepreneur. Yet God called him back to his hometown... to remain a rural pastor. It was just because he became a pastor that his literary talent, entrepreneurial boldness, pursuit of justice, and patriotic spirit as an intellectual were all elevated to a spiritual dimension."
The Missionary Root
Eileen Crossman (1933–2025): "Daughter" of the Lisu Apostle
On September 21, Eileen Crossman passed away in England at 92. Born in southwest China, she was the second daughter of James O. Fraser, the legendary "Apostle to the Lisu People."
Her childhood was marked by both spiritual heritage and immense hardship. In 1938, at the age of five, she sat faithfully by her father's bedside as he died of cerebral malaria—a poignant memory she later recounted to her sister Margaret. Following her father's death, her trials continued during World War II, when she was interned for three years at the Weihsien Concentration Camp until the war ended in 1945.
Despite leaving China, Eileen kept her father's legacy alive. Her seminal biography, Mountain Rain, remains a cornerstone for understanding the Lisu church's revival, inspiring generations to understand the cost and glory of missionary service.
International Mentors to the Chinese Church
In 2025, we also bid farewell to international giants whose influence crossed borders and deeply impacted Chinese Christianity.
Walter Brueggemann (1933–2025): The Scholar Who Taught Us to Reimagine the Old Testament
Scholar Walter Brueggemann passed away at 92. While his context was Western, his theological works, particularly The Prophetic Imagination and Old Testament Theology, are highly valued resources among Chinese theological educators and students.
His ability to articulate hope amidst suffering resonated deeply with Chinese pastors, helping them navigate their own context through the lens of the prophets.
John MacArthur (1939–2025): A Voice for the Pulpit
Pastor John MacArthur passed away in July 2025. While his theological stances sparked debate, his impact on the Chinese church—specifically within the urban house church and Reformed movements—is undeniable.
Through the Chinese translation of the MacArthur Study Bible and his sermon archives, he became a primary mentor for a generation of Chinese pastors seeking to master "expository preaching," setting a standard for biblical fidelity in the pulpit.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on... they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." (Revelation 14:13)
