Ji Zhiwen (Andrew Gih) (1901–1985)

On February 13, 1985, Chinese evangelist Ji Zhiwen—known widely as Andrew Gih—died in Los Angeles, ending a life spent proclaiming Christ across East Asia and beyond. Remembered for plain, urgent preaching and a steady confidence in God’s providence, he labored as an evangelist, organizer, and builder of ministries that joined gospel proclamation with practical compassion. His legacy is not a single institution but a pattern: preach Christ, care for the helpless, train believers, and keep going when the ground shifts.

Shanghai: Evangelism and Mercy in One Work

From Shanghai, Gih helped organize the Bethel Evangelistic Band, sending teams to call men and women to repentance and faith. The work bore the marks of early Chinese evangelical zeal: Scripture-centered messages, prayer, and a readiness to suffer misunderstanding for the sake of truth. Yet the ministry did not stop at the pulpit. Through the Chinese Evangelization Society and an orphanage, he pursued mercy for children and the vulnerable, showing that Christian love is not sentimental but sacrificial. In a city of upheaval and need, word and deed reinforced each other—an embodied witness that the gospel is both announcement and rescue.

Displacement and Expansion: Taiwan and Southeast Asia

Political upheaval drove him from the mainland, but exile did not end his calling. He planted churches in Taiwan and carried the message into Southeast Asia, where kindergartens, orphanages, and day care centers opened doors for lasting ministry. These works were not substitutes for evangelism; they were its companions—signposts of the Kingdom pointing to the Savior who receives the little ones.

Press and Perseverance: Equipping the Saints, Finishing Well

Through a Christian press, Gih strengthened believers with sound teaching, helping the church endure when access to preaching and training was limited. In his later years he continued in hope, trusting God to gather what he had sown. His life echoes Scripture: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) and “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)