Little Did We Know
I vividly remember Monday, May 12, 2008. I had gathered with many others to enjoy the ChinaSource Consultation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We were thrilled to hear and learn from Dr. James Taylor III, our featured speaker, and everything was off to a great start.
Then, in the middle of the afternoon, we received word there had been a massive 8.0 earthquake in China’s Sichuan province. We now know the earthquake claimed the lives of more than 69,000 people and injured more than 374,000 others. Another 18,200 people were missing.
Needless to say, much of the rest of our time that week was centered in prayer for the victims, their families, the missing, first responders, our response, the larger Body of Christ’s involvement, for blessing on the government’s relief and rescue efforts.
What most of us didn’t know yet was that a significant number of pastors and their congregations were already moving in high gear to help bring relief in a variety of ways.
Pastor Ezra Jin wrote the following in the context of the church’s love for the nation:
Chinese political authorities have no reason to fear the tens of millions in China who worship in unregistered congregations. These Christians love their nation. They only want to worship God peacefully according to the Bible and to serve others, especially the poor, the disabled, and the elderly. Zion Church is proud to have been among the first responders after the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake and to have hosted major blood drives in Beijing.
Zion Church was not alone. There were many others who had prayerfully prepared for an emergency like this and had jumped into immediate action. They were motivated by the gospel of Jesus Christ and his call to love and serve others—especially the orphan, the widow, the victimized, and the marginalized.
Later on, we found out that many Mainland Christian leaders had been praying and planning together about being unified in actionable love for the people of their country, if a crisis came. This represented a new paradigm in thought and action for the church. Only in eternity will we know how many lives were saved spiritually and physically as a result.
Metanoia Changes Things
Jesus opened his very first public message with this phrase: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; ‘metanoia’ (repent) and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
The Greek word used here, “metanoia,” literally means to “change one’s mind.” In ancient times the words “mind” and “heart” were used interchangeably. In this context, the word signifies a transformational shift in heart and mind toward Jesus Christ, moving far beyond the sorrow and contrition represented by the English word “repent.”
Richard Trent writes that metanoia “is a mighty change of mind, heart, and life that can only be brought about by the Spirit of God.”
When Jesus introduced himself and his kingdom, he was also introducing his promise and call to follow him and be transformed into his image, his thinking, his way of life. Metanoia took place when we first responded to his call, and it happens every day as we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
Metanoia is the doorway to the gospel, and it is also the doorway to being daily conformed to his image and renewed in the mind of Christ. Gaby Viesca says: “Metanoia is vital because tradition gets into our bones. So, we must revisit our ways, traditions, and mindsets because with God there is always something new to learn.”
It is for this reason that I want to heartily thank Jerry An, our ChinaSource Journal guest editor, and his friends and colleagues who have contributed to the Summer 2026 ChinaSource Journal entitled Chinese Public Theology for Our Time.
Jerry and company have provided us with many potential metanoia moments, to help us consider fresh kingdom thinking and move into new places of love for God and service to his church and the world. As you read and contemplate these offerings, I think you will find many nuggets of sacred truth tied to groundbreaking life and ministry application.
Joann Pittman and the ChinaSource Team have also provided metanoia opportunities by offering the ChinaSource Journal Ways to Pray Guide. Please see the July 21, 2026, article titled From Deep Thinking to Deep Prayer, and download your prayer guide.
Joann writes, “We pray these guides will serve as a catalyst that helps us pray with greater depth and focus.”
Metanoia moments will come when we open our hearts as Joann puts it, “to not simply learn about the global Chinese church but to learn from our Chinese brothers and sisters.”
Kerry Schottelkorb
President
Ways to Pray
Praise
- Praise the Lord—on July 3, Pastor Jin “Ezra” Mingri, founder and senior pastor of Zion Church in Beijing, was released from prison where he had been a prisoner for nine months. He was reunited with his wife Anna, daughter, and two sons in Los Angeles. This is a huge answer to prayer, and we thank God together for his release.
- We are thankful to God for the groundbreaking Summer 2026 ChinaSource Journal entitled Chinese Public Theology for Our Time. Be sure to read every article and download your ChinaSource Journal Prayer Guide.
Prayer
- Please pray for Pastor Jin as he adjusts to his new life in exile. Pray that God will heal the physical and emotional wounds he carries after months in prison and years of separation from his family. Pray that God will give him deep rest.
- Please pray for the release of the other Zion Church leaders who are still in prison. Pray that they will remain in good health and that their faith will remain strong. Pray that God will comfort their families as they continue to wait.
- Pray for the lawyers who are working tirelessly for their release. Pray that God will give them wisdom and keep them from discouragement. Please pray also for more lawyers to help with the caseload.
- Please pray that God will speak through each article written for the Summer 2026 ChinaSource Journal. Pray for each writer, asking for God’s blessing, wisdom, and direction for each one.
News and Notes
ChinaSource Journal, 2026 Summer Issue
Chinese Public Theology for Our Time, guest editor, Jerry An.
This issue brings together voices from Chinese-speaking scholars and ministry leaders reflecting on what it means for the church to bear public witness in today’s world. The articles explore public theology in relation to pluralistic society, the digital age, the Malaysian Chinese church, Anabaptist theology, peacebuilding in Hong Kong, Taiwan’s anti-child prostitution movement, and the place of beauty and aesthetic formation in the church’s public life.
Together, these essays invite readers to consider how Chinese churches—in China and throughout the diaspora—can become faithful, visible, and alternative communities in a rapidly changing world.
To read this compelling issue of the ChinaSource Journal, go to Chinese Public Theology for Our Time.
Online Event
On August 5, Joann will be facilitating an online book club discussion for ERRChina. We will be discussing Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan Wang. You can register here. Please get the book early so can spend the summer reading it.
ChinaSource Opportunity: President
ChinaSource is entering a new season of leadership transition. After prayerful reflection and conversation with the Board, Rev. Kerry Schottelkorb has shared his intention to retire from his role as President of ChinaSource.
In response, the ChinaSource Board has begun a thoughtful process to identify the next leader who will help guide the organization into its next chapter of ministry.
We invite readers to review the President Profile and prayerfully consider whether you know individuals who may be a strong fit for this role.
Download the President Profile
ChinaSource Team News
- On June 18, Joann Pittman’s article, The Church in China: Learning to Fly in a Birdcage, was published by Desiring God.
In Case You Missed It
A selection of recently published items:
- From Deep Thinking to Deep Prayer, ChinaSource Resources, July 21.
- When the Law Redefines the Church, ChinaSource Ideas, July 20.
- From Wuzhou to Makassar, ChinaSource Stories, July 17.
- ZGBriefs, July 16.
- A God of Miracles, ChinaSource Resources, July 15.
- Where is Our Heavenly Home, ChinaSource Ideas, July 14.
- When Cherry Blossoms Fall in the Sweet Potato Field, ChinaSource Stories, July 13.
- Faith Beyond Institutions, ChinaSource Scholarship, July 10.
- ZGBriefs, July 9.
- Chinese Public Theology for Our Time, ChinaSource Journal, July 8.
- A Tale of Two Chinas (1), ChinaSource Resources, July 7.
- After the City on the Hill, ChinaSource Ideas, July 6.
- The Challenge of Scientism in Chinese Diaspora Mission, ChinaSource Ideas, July 3.
- ZGBriefs, July 2.
- From Gospel Posters to Public Theology, ChinaSource Ideas, June 30.
- Reframing the Mission (2), ChinaSource Ideas, June 29.
- Relevant Questions from the Past, ChinaSource Ideas, June 26.
- ZGBriefs, June 25.
- A Divine Displacement, ChinaSource Ideas, June 23.
- China, America, Engineers, and Lawyers, ChinaSource Resources, June 22.
- ZGBriefs, June 18.
- From Receiving Care to Building Care, ChinaSource Resources, June 19.
