For security reasons, we are unable to disclose any identifying information about “Rowan,” including his real name. “Rowan” is a pseudonym used to protect him and those connected to his ministry.

“Rowan” is a Chinese national, seasoned pastor–missionary, and reflective practitioner whose life, ministry, and scholarship are deeply interwoven. His ministry extends across urban centers, rural towns, and ethnic minority regions and is marked by faithfulness to biblical teaching, perseverance under pressure, and a willingness to take personal risks for the sake of the gospel and social witness.

As a pastor with a clear missionary calling, “Rowan” has long been concerned about the Chinese church’s understanding and practice of missions. Recognizing gaps in vision, theology, and communication, he has invested himself in equipping others, training church workers, mentoring students, and strengthening congregations across multiple provinces. His ministry extends beyond preaching to include disaster relief, social engagement, and ongoing online pastoral care, reflecting a holistic understanding of mission that integrates word, deed, and presence.

“Rowan” serves within the complex realities of Chinese underground churches, with their unique historical, cultural, and theological background, operating outside formal denominational structures and often under social and political constraints. “Rowan’s” ministry context is situated at the intersection of Chinese underground house churches and overseas missionaries, where an ongoing partnership exists but is often marked by challenges and unmet expectations. “Rowan” stands within this context not as an external observer, but as a participant who has experienced both sides of the relationship, as a missionary in the field and as someone connected to the church community. As such, “Rowan” is committed to fostering understanding, strengthening relationships, and pursuing solutions that are faithful, thoughtful, contextual, and pastorally relevant.

This complex ministry context has shaped “Rowan’s” approach to pastoral leadership and theological reflection.

“Rowan’s” ministry approach is integrative, incarnational, and discerning, shaped by long-term pastoral practice, missionary experience, and theological reflection rather than abstract strategy.

“Rowan” functions as a mobile shepherd, moving among multiple churches, fellowship points, and training settings. His ministry includes pastoral care, preaching, leadership development, and ongoing theological training for church workers across several provinces. This itinerant pattern reflects both the needs of the church and the limited availability of trained leaders.

Grounded in his personal experience as a missionary, he seeks to address the challenges and misunderstandings between Chinese underground house churches and their missionaries. Rather than pursuing academic research for credentials alone, he views his work as a form of ministry, aimed at serving both churches and missionaries and strengthening their relationship. His research seeks to understand lived experiences, real needs, and perspectives on both sides.

Overall, “Rowan’s” ministry is shaped by humility, contextual sensitivity to Chinese church culture, and a desire to provide a biblical and theological foundation that helps churches and missionaries understand one another more clearly and work together more healthily.

Together with our global partners in the Chinese underground church, the Equip Institute is supporting “Rowan” through formal theological training in an accredited Doctor of Ministry program.

“Rowan” is a reflective, humble, and ministry-minded leader whose academic work is deeply integrated with his spiritual calling and lived experience. He brings a strong sense of purpose and vocation to his doctoral studies, viewing his dissertation not merely as an academic requirement but as a way to serve the church and missionary community meaningfully. His doctoral research is not a departure from his calling but a continuation of it, an effort to bring clarity, healing, and theological depth to the relationships that shape the mission of the Chinese church.

He is shaped by firsthand missionary experience, which has given him a clear awareness of communication breakdowns and misunderstandings between missionaries and their sending churches. Rather than approaching these tensions defensively or ideologically, “Rowan” demonstrates humility and teachability, showing a willingness to listen carefully, seek counsel from others, and engage in prayerful discernment before defining his research focus.

“Rowan” values depth over breadth. He understands that effective ministry and research require focus, patience, and clarity. “Rowan’s” desire to ground his work in biblical and theological reflection that is culturally appropriate for Chinese underground house churches highlights his sensitivity to context and his respect for the church’s lived reality.

• Pray for “Rowan’s” protection and perseverance as he serves Chinese underground pastors and missionaries.
  

• Pray for discernment and wisdom as “Rowan” seeks spiritual attentiveness and alignment with God’s purposes for both churches and missionaries, not merely intellectual analysis.
  

• Pray for “Rowan’s” mentors as they seek to guide his ministry development, spiritual formation, and academic growth.
  

• Pray for grace and discipline as “Rowan” balances academic responsibilities, personal life, and ongoing ministry demands.
  

• Pray that God would sustain “Rowan” with strength, courage, and peace as he serves in fragile and high-pressure ministry contexts.
  

• Pray for protection and spiritual covering for those “Rowan” is sending to serve among Unreached People Groups, that the Lord would preserve them from harm, illness, and spiritual opposition.
  

• Pray for wisdom and strategic clarity as “Rowan” equips and mobilizes workers for cross-cultural mission, that they would be sent with sound preparation, healthy partnerships, cultural sensitivity, and long-term effectiveness.
  

• Pray that God would raise up faithful co-laborers and emerging leaders through “Rowan’s” ministry who will strengthen the church and sustain gospel witness for generations to come.