“Discipleship is not a program; it is a way of life—a way of life of following Jesus.” For Edmund Chan, true discipleship is not about completing courses or following a ministry model but about a lifelong journey of knowing Jesus, loving Him, serving Him, obeying Him, and becoming more like Him. He believes that many challenges facing the church today—including division, burnout, and declining spiritual vitality—ultimately point to a discipleship deficit. At its heart, discipleship is about the transformation of the human heart through the Word of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and relationships that shape believers into Christlikeness. In an increasingly digital age, Chan also emphasizes that technology can help extend the reach of ministry, but it cannot replace the depth of personal relationships and face-to-face community. For the next generation of church leaders, his message is simple: “Love Jesus.” To follow Jesus is to trust Him, obey Him, and give our lives back to the One who first loved us.

As the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order convenes, China Christian Daily spoke with Rev. Prof. Dr Stephanie Dietrich from Norway, one day after it began. In this interview, she reflects on the preparation and key themes of the conference, the significance of holding it in the Global South, and her personal journey in pursuing Christian unity through ecumenical theology.

During the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order, themed "Where now for visible unity," Rev. Dr. Susan Durber, a minister in the United Reformed Church in the United Kingdom and the current WCC president from Europe, shared with China Christian Daily her experiences in ecumenical work, insights from the conference, the challenges facing European churches, and her perspectives on unity.

Samuel Kahn, recently appointed Deputy Consul General of Israel in Shanghai, sat down with China Christian Daily to share his impressions of China, his vision for strengthening Israel–China relations, and his reflections on Jewish culture and interfaith dialogue.

The book In the Province of the Dragon: A Pioneer Deaconess in Southern China from the Boxer Uprising to the Communist Insurgency, by Robert and Linda Banks, offers a poignant and inspiring account of Sophie Sackville Newton, a pioneering deaconess whose mission work in China profoundly impacted the lives of countless Chinese people. Through this heartfelt narrative, Sophie emerges as a transformative figure—not only as a missionary but also as an advocate for women's education, social reform, and the establishment of Christian communities during a time of immense cultural and political upheaval.

John Holliday, the great-grandson of Walter Henry Medhurst, wrote a biography titled Mission to China: The Life of Walter Henry Medhurst to recount the 40 years of the ancestral missionary's traveling and engaging with the Chinese communities across Asia. The Daily Telegraph writes, "This book details the life and achievements of a little known figure in history whose impact on the modern world is still being felt." In an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily, Holliday shared about his book and Medhurst's mission work in China and the Chinese diaspora.

In an exclusive interview with the Christian Times, Christian playwright Jiang Yuanlai talked about his new 2024 book Culture and Christ: From Swallowing to Saving Men. Based on his most popular course among students shared in various places for more than 20 years, the content of the book has been widely used by many churches in mainland China such as gospel preparatory work and youth ministries. It “integrates many little-known and precious” experiences of various denominations within the broad Christian denominations’ exchanges and co-workers in China.

Ravit Baer, Consul General of Israel in Shanghai, shares her impressions of China, Jewish-Christian connections, and cultural exchanges between Israel and China since taking office in January 2023 in an exclusive interview with China Christian Daily. Born as a Jew and raised in Jerusalem, she also highlights the importance of education, tradition, and modernity in Israeli society and expresses her hopes for future cultural and religious exchanges between the two nations.

Rev. Vitaly Vlasenko, General Secretary of Russian Evangelical Alliance, gave his blessings for China in Beijing on April 18, 2024.

Whitworth University Library and the China Christianity Studies Group (CCSG) have co-sponsored this series of interviews with scholars in the field of China Christianity Studies. The interview series is entitled "Christianity in China: Recollections on the Field by Prominent Scholars." (2020) CCD reprinted with permission.