Leslie T. Lyall

This is the story of an amazing man of prayer, from his birth, when his parents dedicated him to the Lord's service, to his triumphant entry into the city whose builder and maker is God. A zeal to preach the gospel, an ever active life in the Lord's service, the victory of self-surrender, and the stimulus of many answered prayers during his youth provided a strong foundation upon which was built a mighty structure to the glory of God. John Sung was "a man of the Word and a man of prayer - the simple but rarely achieved formula for a man of power." It was not always so. Constantly confronted with poverty and disease, John Sung turned from God. The subtle influence of a liberal theology and a purely "social gospel" and his own extraordinary "powers of concentration and intellectual grasp" began to undermine his faith. But neither science nor religion could bring him any comfort of joy.… (mais)

There are many heroes in the Chinese church. Today, humanly speaking, it should not exist - having been stamped out by the pressure of authorities prior to, and during, the Communist era. Yet today the church is larger than ever - and still growing. Some of this phenomenon can be attributed to the quality of leadership in the Church. People suffered for their faith, often in brutal and cruel ways, yet God maintained their faith in remarkable ways. Whilst there were many leaders of equally courageous stature in the church, three men have stood out in the 20th century. Wang Ming-Dao, Nee Duo-Sheng Watchman Nee and Yang Shao-Tang David Yang. Leslie Lyall knew all three as a friend and worked with two of them. He brings out their different personalities, analyses the effect they had on the church and compares their views in some key areas. All three worked outside the 'official' church, all three knew and respected each other. Their stories are inspiring, terrifying, solemn and joyous. They are an encouragement to us all.… (mais)