Sean Cheng is a Chinese diaspora missionary in action, experienced Chinese Christian media editor, and veteran digital evangelist. He served as Asia Editor of Christianity Today (2022-24) and Director of Evangelism for Overseas Campus Ministries (2011-19) and manages the personal evangelistic webpage Jidian’s Links.
The qualities often celebrated through the horse in Chinese culture—strength, perseverance, diligence, endurance—may rightly be received as genuine gifts of common grace. And yet Scripture insists on a boundary we forget at our peril: the horse cannot save.
No culture or political ideology can be equated with Christian truth. Jesus’s words—“My kingdom is not of this world”—remain a vital reminder for the church today.
A Korean missionary fluent in Korean, Chinese, English, and Japanese, serving Chinese in Tokyo, Park’s story is a powerful testament to God’s work in diaspora and global missions today.
As the Year of the Snake is approaching, amidst the blessings of the Year of the Snake and the music of the “Dance of the Golden Snake”, Chinese Christians can meditate on the many snake-related verses in the Bible, and come to God in thanksgiving and prayer.
The opportunities remain significant for the church and international student ministries to reach and disciple Chinese students and scholars, the majority of whom (about 80 percent) will go back to China.
It is important for returnee Christians to ask God for wisdom as they follow Peter’s admonition to early Christians who were struggling: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
Today, faced with the opportunities and challenges of diaspora missions brought about by globalization, the church should actively participate. We hope that God will give the church the spiritual vision and kingdom-mindedness to take part in diaspora missions, and that we will see opportunities for encouraging lay missions.
Long-time internet missionary, Sean Cheng, discusses the ways that digital evangelism has changed over the last 28 years—from bulletin boards to online forums to blogs to social media. He also addresses the ways that government regulations have created both challenges and opportunities. Finally, he talks about the calling to internet ministry.