MAINLAND CHINA -- at 12th of Jan. Pastor Zhao, Tianen died of illness at the hospital of West Covina Citrus Valley in California.

Pastor Zhao is the Chinese theological education pioneer. As early as 1960s he appealed to establish high-degree seminaries; He personally set an example to participate in "the China gospel theological school" in Taiwan from 1970 to 1971, the school recovery of Taosheng seminary from year of 1988 to 1990 in Taiwan and Chinese theology research institute in Hong Kong from year of 1965 to 1980. He also went in person to mainland and trained numerous mainland church leaders and missionaries from 1983 to 2001.

In academic circles, Pastor Zhao is an expert in Chinese church history, especially contemporary Chinese church history. He emphasized that theology and the history is the key to analyses the Chinese church. Although he grew in Japan, studied in US, he deeply loved the Chinese culture.

In 1978, Pastor Zhao established "the Chinese church research center" in Hong Kong and In 1986 He established "Christianity and the Chinese culture research center" in Taiwan. Since 1988, More than 100 coworkers from his church have been to China every year, engaged in the house church leader and teachers' training.