Connection, Innovation, Sharing
Photo Courtesy of Christian Tribune
Exclusive Interview with CEO Timothy Cheng
The Christian Tribune, established in 1965, has a long history and stands out as one of the few publications in the global Chinese church that offers high-quality news reporting, spiritual development content, and cultural and artistic pieces. In addition to its print edition, the website is vibrant and diverse, hosting news and information from various gospel organizations. The Tribune has also collaborated with the KRC Magazine for many years, reprinting high-quality articles.
However, the organization is more than just a media outlet. The Asia Influence Center of the Tribune extends its reach through annual conferences and events, connecting pastors, believers, and churches locally, across Asia, and globally. Let’s hear from CEO Timothy Cheng as he shares his experiences and insights from over a decade of leadership, detailing how he transformed an old print newspaper into a multidimensional platform, taking it from Taiwan to Asia and the world.
Holding Fast and Embracing Change: From Print to Multidimensional
KRC: The Christian Tribune has a long history, and since you took over as CEO in 2010, there have been many changes. Could you share which aspects you’ve maintained to uphold the original vision of the Tribune, and in which areas you’ve introduced innovations?
**Cheng:** The **Christian Tribune**, founded in 1965, is approaching its 60th anniversary in 2024. At its inception, the medium was black-and-white printed newspapers, primarily serving as a tool to disseminate church news and connect churches across regions. Six decades later, the methods have evolved—from black-and-white to color printing, from radio to the internet, mobile networks, and now AI. However, what has remained unchanged is the purpose and role of this media: “Exalting Christ, connecting churches, equipping believers, and spreading the Gospel.” God is the source of both the Word and the message, as well as the source of this organization’s mission and operation.
We are one Church.
When I took over the Christian Tribune in 2010, I found myself standing in a traditional, legacy newspaper while facing the unpredictable world of new media. At that time, my goal was to revitalize the Tribune, enhance its impact, and expand its functionality. This newspaper, which many of us grew up reading in church, still has a role to play. But how could it avoid becoming obsolete as print media gradually declines? In today’s chaotic media landscape, where standards for truth are often absent, my hope is for the Tribune to become the conscience, core, and center of the Christian community—a trustworthy media outlet grounded in biblical truth and principles.
Before joining the Christian Tribune, I held creative and senior management positions at United Advertising, ETTV, and Kang Hsuan Educational Publishing, and I also had entrepreneurial experience. Creativity and innovation are my strengths, and I didn’t want the Tribune to remain ordinary. It should no longer rely solely on text but also incorporate visuals and design.
Before every issue is published, I always have multiple discussions with the design team about how to use images and colors to best convey the theme. Although the Christian Tribune does not follow a commercial path, its quality and design should rival that of mainstream media. It should exude artistic taste, with visuals that are dynamic and compelling, telling engaging stories that stimulate the desire to read. In this fast-paced, multimedia-driven visual era, we must use creativity to spark conversations and capture attention.
My past work experience has given me a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the world, and I hope to use this background to help pastors feed a flock of sheep wandering in confusion within the world. From both my professional experience and my understanding of faith, I know that words carry power—not only to convey messages but also to serve as vehicles for connection, relationships, community, and dialogue. What I envision for the Christian Tribune is not just a platform for connecting believers or linking churches, but also for bridging the church with the world. In other words, the church must engage with the world with its speed, height, depth, and breadth; similarly, the world needs to see the church demonstrating those same attributes.
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian Tribune Foundation defied the odds by acquiring a Japanese-style building to serve as the Asia Influence Center Headquarters. Since then, it has hosted numerous esteemed pastors and leaders, facilitated various ministries, and become a hub for church relationships and connections. It now serves as a core for driving innovation and transformation within the Christian community.
In 2020, the Christian Tribune moved beyond print publishing by initiating the Asia Influence International Conference, helping churches across regions recognize that we are one—one unified "Church." This marked the beginning of a series of annual conferences: the 2022 Malaysia conference, "Winds and Waves Rising", the 2023 Jakarta conference, "He Calms the Storm", and the upcoming 2024 Kaohsiung conference, "Into the Deep Waters." This transition from a print-focused media outlet to event planning aimed to innovate and transform the future of the Asian Church. It also marked the beginning of the Asia Influence Center’s mission.
Building on Tradition, Driving the Future
KRC: What inspired you to lead the Christian Tribune as a pioneer of innovation?
Cheng: My goal was to find a way to keep the traditional newspaper alive! Perhaps it’s a combination of my personality, upbringing, and work experience. I grew up in the church as a pastor’s son, but my father passed away when I was 16, and I left the church soon after. At the time, I believed that since my father had given everything for the church, I needed to rely on myself and didn’t need faith. After wandering through the world like being in a wilderness, God found me again when I was 45.
I majored in theater and started my career as a creative producer at Taiwan’s largest advertising company at a young age. At 30, I moved to the United States to start a business in eco-tourism at national parks, which became one of the top players in the industry. Ten years later, I returned to Taiwan and served as CEO of the country’s leading children’s education group. Afterward, I became Vice President of the ETTV Group, where I oversaw the production of the children’s channel. Later, I transitioned to the publishing industry and served as CEO of Kang Hsuan Educational Publishing, the leader in Taiwan’s textbook market.
I’ve always been a driven person, and my résumé might seem impressive and accomplished—whatever I pursued, I aimed to be number one. But I did it all without relying on God. At the age of 45, after a church service, I intended to quietly leave, but a foreign pastor approached me with a prophetic word. He said, “The Lord has been searching for you for a long time; He wants to use you.” He also gave me Psalm 91.
I was deeply shaken at that moment, but I also had doubts. Later, I joined a gospel organization, but it seemed there wasn’t much room for me to contribute. Unexpectedly, in 2010, I entered the Christian Tribune and even became its CEO. At first, I couldn’t understand: I hadn’t attended seminary, nor was I someone who followed conventional paths. Why the Tribune? My expertise was in new media, so why would God place me in a declining traditional media organization?
Compared to the powerful influence of secular media, Christian media is often seen as a weaker link. However, God first changed me. It was only after taking on the Christian Tribune that I was truly touched by the Lord and came to know Jesus more deeply. I began to understand what the church is and what God wanted the Tribune to accomplish. Starting with the basics of written communication, I learned firsthand the incredible impact of media in spreading messages.
I’ve never been one to follow traditional paths; I enjoy innovation and creativity. In every industry I’ve worked in, I’ve carved out a new direction. Back in 2010, when the internet wasn’t as fast or widely used as it is today, I had already envisioned taking the **Christian Tribune** beyond traditional print media into the digital realm. We invested significant time and resources into designing and managing the Tribune’s website, actively collaborating with other gospel organizations. This included republishing articles from Kingdom Revival Times, maximizing the website’s potential as a platform for connection. The pandemic accelerated the online era, highlighting the need for us to become digital shepherds, using the internet to engage in meaningful conversations with the world.
Currently, the Christian Tribune operates with a team of 16 staff members, publishing a print edition twice a week with a circulation of 6,000 copies per issue. Meanwhile, digital content on the website is continuously updated, with many news articles available online in real time.
KRC: From print to multimedia, writing has expanded into various fields. Could you share your vision for Christian media from the perspective of the Christian Tribune?
Cheng: The media landscape has evolved continuously, from print to digital, mobile, and now AI. Despite these changes, its function remains just as important. While the truth we convey is unchanging, the methods of delivery must adapt to the times. Technology has transformed people's perspectives and usage habits, but when used wisely, it can serve as a powerful tool for advancing faith.
With the advancement of modern technology, the world’s center is gradually shifting to Asia, and Taiwan is emerging as a pivotal point. Taiwan’s unique history and cultural-social environment have accumulated a rich core of values. The church environment has also flourished more than ever, maintaining its traditions while being open to innovation. Christian media must become a tool for "connecting all sides"—not only linking local churches and believers but also connecting churches and organizations across Asia and even the entire world. This is what I mean by innovation, transformation, and envisioning the future.
Whether in media or other ministries, reaching a "dead end" often happens when there is resistance to change or an inability to adapt to a changing world. How do we balance what should change and what should remain constant? Have you ever thought about how the term "news" often becomes "old news" by the time we hear or see it? I encourage media professionals, whether using text or video, to develop a forward-looking perspective and move beyond simply reporting on past events. My vision for the Christian Tribune is to not only observe and report trends but to also drive those trends. Instead of following the crowd, we should create the crowd, becoming catalysts and drivers of the future.
It’s not just about the Christian Tribune or Christian media—churches, gospel organizations, and individual believers have traditionally focused on bringing people to the church. Now, it’s equally important to bring the church to the people, into the world, to truly make an impact. Christians are not called to remain churchgoers within church walls but to be believers in the world. This means living out Christ in everyday life, integrating faith into life and life into faith.
Projecting Influence to the World
KRC: Could you share the guiding principles behind the practices of the Asia Influence Center?
Cheng: The hope is for the Asia Influence Center to become a key hub of connection, truly serving as a center that projects influence. Located on Chidong Street—a quiet lane but a significant literary and cultural preservation area in Taiwan—the building embodies elegance and purpose. God has placed this remarkable space in our hands with the vision for it to become a "chip" for the faith community, filled with the operational power of wisdom and knowledge, driving the mission of spreading the Gospel.
Everyone has a God-given purpose, and the one God has given me is Impact—influence. It is also the calling God has given to the Christian Tribune in this generation. God has opened international doors for the Asia Influence Center, enabling it to step out of Taiwan and include the world in His Kingdom. In previous years, we held the Asia Influence Annual Conference in Indonesia and Malaysia, inviting outstanding speakers from various regions and industries to share how they live out their faith in environments that are not friendly to Christianity. The goal is to connect with the church and the times, sparking a global impact. In 2024, the annual conference will be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, showcasing the beauty of Kaohsiung to the international community.
In 2025, the Asia Influence Center will expand its efforts to Japan with the theme "Awakening the Church." The goal is to inspire not only Chinese churches in Japan but also Japanese churches to use the influence of media to draw more attention to Christianity among Japanese residents. Although Christians make up only 1% of Japan's population, the hope is that this 1% can speak out, walk in faith, and live out their beliefs, influencing those around them across various industries. They are envisioned to become "chips," shaping culture and the economy through their daily lives and actions.
This ever-changing era is a God-given environment, and we should embrace and enjoy it. As we age, it doesn’t just signify getting older—it represents the accumulation of wisdom, experience, and capabilities. The more paths we’ve walked, the more global perspective and insight we gain. Instead of saying we’re "old," why not say we’re "of great value"? Let’s use the value God has placed in you and me as a driving force, a discerning power, an executing strength, a language proficiency, and a source of influence. Don’t you think?
The times are changing rapidly, but the eternal God remains unchanging. We must be ready to make an impact for Christ and His Kingdom through connection, innovation, and sharing—not only within the church but also in the world; not only in Taiwan but on the global stage.
For more information about the Christian Tribune, please visit our website. https://ct.org.tw/html/news/. To learn more about the Asia Influence Center, please visit our website.https://www.impactasiacenter.com/aboutus.
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