John Dolman

John, well known to many in CCSM, passed away on 24th July 2025 after a long battle with a variety of physical challenges.

John was a key member of our CCSM leadership team over many years, serving until recently, as our Canadian Director. His greatest contribution though, was through his involvement with the CCSM literature programme, which translated, printed and distributed over 15 million Christian books across China. This work produced many heroes, including the printers and couriers, who took great risks to achieve great outcomes for the Kingdom. John personally met many recipients of the books, and his tears as he recalled their testimonies, spoke of John’s heart and passion for serving the church in China. As technology developed, John was at the forefront of digitising our massive collection of teaching material. This was made available in China through SD card technology whereby hundreds of books and other resources could be offered to churches, Bible colleges and new converts on a thumb sized disk– always with the advice to “copy and pass it on”!

John had a call on his life to serve China from early on in his Christian life but it was meeting Ian, the then UK Director and head of the literature programme, that made it a reality.  Ian was taking teams to Hong Kong and carrying Bibles and teaching books across the border into China.  John agreed to join a team.  He became Ian’s right-hand man taking over much of the practical work of liaising with printers and arranging deliveries to pastors and churches across China.

Many of John’s colleagues have sent tributes.  James (long time Australia Director and Team Leader) wrote: “I will always remember John as someone who was down to earth, genuine and authentic.  His most memorable personality trait was his unique, loud, infectious laugh.  You knew John was somewhere nearby. But underneath John was a deeply spiritual man who had real insight and a close walk with God.”

David, Mercy Director, wrote: “His passion to see resources make their way around China was deep.  We will never know on earth how many came to know Jesus because of this man’s heart and passion and I’m certain that’s the way John would want it.  I think John would say “Jesus knows and that’s all that matters.”  You are deeply missed my brother.”

John was a larger-than-life character. He was a people person, a preacher and a project manager. He loved to lead worship and wrote his own songs. But, above all, mission was John’s life, and it was no surprise that at one stage two of his sons were serving concurrently on the China mission field. Through good times, and bad, his wife Chris was his faithful foil, bringing peace and calm to John’s often very hectic life.

Prayer points

Please pray for Chris as she comes to terms with this new season of her life without John.

Pray for the boys, Matthew, Aaron, Joshua and Peter as well as all the grandchildren, whom he so dearly loved.

Pray that John’s efforts through China mission will continue to bring fruit.

The impact of “bags of books and bibles”!

Ian, who was instrumental in getting John involved in the literature work, recalls this story from their many delivery missions into the heart of China:  He writes:

“John and I often travelled together to visit churches in China and there are too many stories to tell, but I guess one that remains with me, and I know it did with John, is when we were invited to a church in the countryside.  John and I had packed bags full of Bibles and teaching books and we caught an overnight train to a city some six or seven hours from Beijing.  We arrived about five o’clock in the morning whilst still dark and a taxi was waiting for us.  We travelled for at least an hour, maybe more, and arrived at a little settlement.  Just a small house, no glass in the windows, one room to sit in with a dining table and one bedroom.  The kitchen was outside in the courtyard where dogs, chickens and other animals roamed about.

We were welcomed by the owner and his wife and we sat and drank tea and shared with them the bags of books we had brought.  This was the pastor of the village church.  He informed us that he had arranged for people to come and meet us.  He took us outside and we saw a fairly new building, with glass windows, fitted doors and rows of benches inside.  This, he told us, was the church.  All the villagers contributed over time and they had been able to build this.  As we looked out of the windows, we could see people walking through the fields towards the building.  Soon it was full and the pastor asked us to preach.  I handed over to John who spoke for some time and we thought that it was it, but the pastor said they wanted more so I spoke.  When I had finished the pastor said the people wanted us to pray for them, so they lined up to be prayed for individually.  It was a truly amazing time.  During the time I saw a man weeping and after the meeting I went to him and I found out he was a pastor of a city church.  I asked why he had been weeping and he said that in all his years as a pastor he had never seen a Christian teaching book.  We gave him books to take back to his church.”

CCSM has delivered 15 million+ Christian books free of charge into China over the years and we continue this legacy today through our SD card programme.  As well as teaching books, we have delivered tens of thousands of Bibles.  During the early 2000s, this became less of a priority, as it became easier to buy Bibles inside China, and they became freely available on-line.  But the need has returned as the PRC has restricted options for purchase – now only available through official Three Self churches, where the purchaser’s identity is recorded. Our SD cards are in high demand and restricted only by finance.  And we are also supplying large print Bibles to new believers, especially to older converts who need the larger text.