Chinese Church ‘Mission Frontier’ Rev. Guo Zhen Passed Away at Age 91

Oct 30, 2009 03:33 PM EDT

Chinese Church Mission ‘frontier’ Rev. Guo Zheng passed away on Oct. 14 at the age of 91.

As one of the first peoples to initiate sending missions in the Chinese churches, he was named the “mission frontier.” Since the 1950s, he possessed the vision and burden for Chinese missions; when ministering in Manila in 1961, he began the church’s mission ministry. In 1975, the church have send and supported over 50 missionaries, who are all sent from their church, and their missions fund represented approximately 60% of the overall church budget. With such experience, he became confident that the Chinese churches can also mobilize for world missions.

Upon leaving the Philippines, Rev. Guo Zheng took over the post as the secretary general of Chinese Christian Mission in United States and began actively pushing for mission ministry in the Chinese churches.

Besides frequenting United States, Philippines, and Hong Kong to share the vision for mission ministry, Zheng has set foot on almost every part of the world, awaking the local Chinese churches to rise up for missions, and these countries included Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, East Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, India, Switzerland, France, Holland, England, Australia, Canada, United States, Panama, and etc.

In addition, he has shared the vision for mission to those in mainland China through gospel broadcasting, encouraging them to sent gospel ambassadors to preach the gospel and plant churches among the unreached ethnic-minorities and those in Middle East.

Meanwhile, Rev. Guo Zheng has actively pushed for the Chinese Coordination Centre of World Evangelism (CCCOWE) movement. As the initiator of the first gathering of CCCOWE, he served as the main speaker for the first three consecutive conferences and as one of the movement's directors.

Rev. Zheng Guo was born in Zhangping City, Fujian Province. While his original Chinese name is “yung-shan” or ever-lasting kindness, he later changed it to “guo” or fruit upon his decision to dedicate his life for the Lord.

Zheng became a believer at the age of 26, dedicated his life at 30, and later graduated from Hong Kong Evangel Seminary, where he later served as a professor. He also taught at Philippine Seminary, Christian Witness Theological Seminary in California. He served as the senior pastor at Manila ‘lin-hui’ church and initiated the mission ministry there. After serving as the general secretary for USA CCM, he served as the senior pastor at Mountain View Chinese Christian Church and was later named the honorary pastor.

Addressing Rev. Guo Zhen’s death, CCCOWE expressed their regrets and gave the follow remarks: “Rev. Guo Zhen dedicated a little more than 60 years of his life for the Lord, during which he was used greatly by the Lord, preached the message around the world, pushed forward the vision for missions, set the beautiful footprints around the world; not only was he a faithful servant to the Lord, but also the missions frontier.”