Chinese Saint
🇨🇳Marcus Cheng
1884–1963 · Chinese · Theologian, Educator & Evangelical Statesman
“Biblical truth does not change with the times; it is the times that must be judged by the truth.”
Biography
Marcus Cheng (Cheng Zhongheng) was born in 1884 in Hubei Province and came to faith in Christ through missionary influence. He received theological training and dedicated his life to the education and theological formation of Chinese Christian leaders. He served as a professor and administrator at several theological institutions, becoming one of the leading theological educators of his generation. Cheng was a committed evangelical who resisted the encroachment of theological liberalism into Chinese Christian institutions, championing the authority of Scripture and the fundamentals of the faith. He was known for his rigorous intellect, his pastoral heart, and his concern for the integrity of the Gospel in the face of modernist challenges. He represented Chinese Christianity on the international stage, attending the World Evangelical Fellowship and other global gatherings where he advocated for Chinese evangelical concerns. His influence shaped a generation of Chinese pastors and church leaders who went on to serve across China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. He died in 1963, having invested his life in the theological infrastructure of the Chinese church. Though less well-known than the great evangelists of his era, his contribution to the intellectual and institutional foundations of Chinese evangelical Christianity was foundational.
Key Works
Marcus Cheng's contributions were primarily expressed through teaching, institutional leadership, and theological advocacy rather than through a single landmark publication. He contributed articles and essays to Christian periodicals defending evangelical orthodoxy and critiquing theological modernism in the Chinese context. His influence through theological education—the pastors and leaders he trained—represents his most enduring legacy. He participated in international evangelical gatherings and helped connect the Chinese church to the global evangelical movement.
Legacy
Marcus Cheng's legacy lies in the theological stability and evangelical commitment he helped instill in a generation of Chinese church leaders. By defending biblical orthodoxy against modernist challenges at a critical period, he helped ensure that the Chinese church retained its evangelical identity. His participation in global evangelical bodies gave the Chinese church an international voice and connected it to the broader evangelical movement. He represents the indispensable but often overlooked ministry of theological education and institutional building.