July of 1934
Yin Renxian was born in Hunan, China, in 1887, to a family of high status. He studied classical Confucian teachings and English at home. After his first wife died following the birth of their fourth child, Yin left his children with relatives and pursued studies in economics in the U.S., earning degrees from Western Reserve University and Harvard. He later worked at the First National Bank of Boston before returning to China in 1919 to help develop the national textile industry.

Initially skeptical of Christianity, Yin's views changed through the influence of his Christian cousin and the example of missionaries. He married Faith Suyun Ding in 1924, the daughter of Christian leader Ding Limei.

As the four children by Yin’s previous marriage were beginning to grow up and attend high school and college, another son, David, was born to them. One afternoon, his parents found him drowned in the deep ditch that surrounded the house. After consolation from a Christian doctor, Yin went to his room upstairs and knelt down to pray, asking for God’s saving grace.  On the very same day, Suyan was consoled by another friend, who used a touching illustration of a shepherd who cares for little lambs. They both began to embrace Christ personally.
 
They began studying the Bible together and hosting Bible study meetings.  In July of 1934, two of Yin Renxian’s adult children, recently converted to Christianity through his witness, were blown up by a bomb while traveling on a train. At their funeral, Yin spoke to the assembled Chinese about the power of Christ to save from sin. He and his wife Suyun, after years of tepid Christianity, had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to Christ with the result that a house church has formed around them. Yin eventually became a Christian educator.

He continued to held influential government positions, including Director of the Tax Bureau in Henan and Commissioner of Finance in Hunan. Despite the challenges of war and corruption, he maintained integrity, refusing to compromise his values. His leadership during the 1938 Changsha fire relief effort led to the governor’s conversion to Christianity.

In 1943, Yin founded Holy Light School in Chongqing, a Christian school for refugee children, which became a model institution for Christian education. After the Communist takeover, the school was forced to close. Yin spent his later years in Suzhou, focusing on ministry and writing about his spiritual journey. He died in 1964 at the age of 78. Yin’s legacy includes his leadership, faithfulness in adversity, and influence on China’s Christian community.