罗约翰牧师效法基督“道成肉身”，进入中国东北，向当地人民，包括朝鲜人宣讲福音、引领人归主、教导信徒耶稣的教训（太28:19-20）。他建立多间教会，却不当堂会的牧者，从一开始就把棒子交给所栽培的传道人，让他们自治、自传和自养。他也办医疗服务、神学院教育等。即使他离开了当地，那里的教会仍然存留，因为当地教会已能“三自”，在基督里，依靠神，通过圣灵继续茁壮成长。

Christianity flourishes in areas facing profound dislocations amidst regime change and warfare. This book explains the appeal of Christianity in the Chaozhou-Shantou (Chaoshan) region during a time of transition, from a stage of disintegration in the late imperial era into the cosmopolitan and entrepreneurial area it is today. The authors argue that Christianity played multiple roles in Chaoshan, facilitating mutual accommodations and adaptations among foreign missionaries and native converts. The trajectory of Christianization should be understood as a process of civilizational change that inspired individuals and communities to construct a sacred order capable of empowerment in times of chaos and confusion.