When I discovered a 126-year-old American bell hanging in a church in southwest China I knew there was a story to tell.
Who had decided to ship it? How had it been transported?
How had it survived the political turmoil of the 1950’s and 1960’s?
I also knew that if there was one bell there must be others.
Over the course of eight months I travelled around China looking for old church bells, finding ones from the United France, Germany, Russia, and the United States.
This book is a collection of stories about those bells. But more importantly, they are stories of God’s faithfulness to his church in China.
The book is available in paperback and kindle format from Amazon.
I would love to speak to your church or civic group about the stories in this book.
Endorsements:
“My friend Joan is a marvelous story-teller and astute historian, and these qualities sparkle in this series of vignettes about church bells in China. With her usual humor and balanced viewpoint, she reveals how these bells are “vehicles of the history of God’s sustaining grace” for his people. I highly recommend this fun and moving read.”
Dr. Carol Hamrin, Research Professor, George Mason University
“The church bells of China provide both a window into the past and a metaphor for the Chinese church itself. In “The Bells are not Silent,” Joann skillfully recounts the poignant stories surrounding these relics of history, which today stand as a testimony to God’s faithfulness. In the process she points out milestones in the church’s journey and relates, in a refreshingly conversational style, her own pilgrimage of understanding God’s amazing work in China. Joann’s narrative of her travels in search of the bells is itself fascinating, filled with valuable cultural insights and little-known background on the history of the church bells.”
Dr. Brent Fulton, Founder, ChinaSource
