Translated highlights from a paper prepared by the leader of the SFDD, the WEC-related church in Japan, to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of WEC working in Japan.
This year, 2000, is the last year of the 20th century, and is the anniversary of fifty years of WEC's work in Japan. The fiftieth year is a good time to stop, give thanks for the past and look ahead to the future.
Three areas for thanks:
The foundation of love. Over the last fifty years nearly 100 missionaries have come to Japan to spread the gospel. Our forerunners did not consider it a sacrifice to give themselves whole-heartedly to evangelising the Japanese souls which they loved.
The foundation of co-operation. Ever since the days before the SFDD was formed as a church association, there has been a strong sense of working together among the missionaries, national pastors and church members.
A house cannot be built without good foundations. Having these good foundations in place is a real asset as we look ahead to building the Lord's church in the 21st century.
WEC's Pioneering Period
Our group of churches began in 1950 and our history is linked to the conditions in Japan since then. General MacArthur, the head of the occupying allied forces after the war, called for a thousand missionaries to be sent to Japan. He hoped that this would aid the transition to a peaceful democracy. Following the fall of the government and the communist take-over in China in 1949, all Christian missions were forced to leave. Many missionaries who had been working in China took refuge in Japan and Taiwan and began evangelising there. A lot of the missionaries and funds that originally were destined for China now headed for Japan. In September 1951 a peace treaty was signed in San Francisco and the allied occupation of Japan came to an end. During the war Western churches could not support overseas missions. After the war, there was a period when an unprecedented number of young people went out into the world as warriors for peace and soldiers for the gospel, carrying not a gun but the Bible in their hands. It was as part of this wave that Lon Fulton came to Japan as the first of WEC's young warriors for the gospel. Almost all of the first missionaries were young people in their twenties. Conditions in Japan at the time were favourable for mission. Through open-air evangelism, tent meetings and English classes many people were gathered together. In several places churches or regular meetings were established. It must also be said that a number of these were subsequently closed down, leaving doubts as to how many of the people were really saved and how much understanding there really was of being a member of the body of Christ.
The WEC group of churches underwent a big change in 1970. Until then it was a group with missionaries at the centre. At this time it was reorganised, having a leadership committee drawn from national pastors, missionaries and church members with each church choosing its representatives for the annual general meeting. It was a major change from being missionary-centred to being church-centred. WEC missionaries laid aside their wider ministries to focus their attention on building up the Church. So that churches would not be left without a pastor or be forced to close, missionaries did not stubbornly persist in their own visions or gifts but went to those places where there was a need of workers.
From 1970 to 1990 the group (now known as the SFDD) grew in size. Some churches become able to support themselves financially and several church buildings were built.
In common with the rapid economic growth of Japanese society generally this period was a time of growth for the churches. Many evangelical churches were growing during this time. However, even though I say there was growth, the question of whether the increase in numbers was really growth or simply getting bigger (fatter) would subsequently be put to the test. From 1990 onwards Japan entered a period of low economic growth following the burst of the so-called bubble economy. Churches were also affected and they, too, entered a period of low growth. Japan from now on will see an ageing population and families having fewer children. In the 1960s enthusiastic teenagers gathered together for the Bible Class; in the 1970s Sunday schools were full of the happy shouting voices of children. Today both have disappeared from the churches. Ageing pastors and few people coming forward for full-time Christian work give the Church entering the 21st century little cause for optimism.
Vision for the 21st Century
The SFDD has inherited WEC's spiritual ethos. We have to work out how to develop this ethos in the mission field called Japan in the 21st century. WEC's spiritual ethos can be seen in the faith stance of C.T. Studd. Receiving a definite call from the Lord, relying not on people nor on an organisation but having faith that relied on God alone, he had a passion to evangelise in places that the Church had not yet reached. Can we revive this spiritual heritage in the SFDD in the 21st century?
A Return to the Beginning for the SFDD
Fifty years is equivalent to the year of Jubilee. In the year of Jubilee slaves are freed and can return to their homes, while land and fields that have been sold to others are returned. We could say that Jubilee year is a time when things return to how they were in the beginning. Fifty years ago Japan was a country devastated by defeat in the war. Young missionaries in their twenties were burning with the vision of world mission, and they started from scratch with no previous foundation to build on. I am praying that, as we head into the 21st century, we will return to the beginning and make a fresh start in these areas:
The challenge of mission to a devastated country.
Missionaries from rich western countries boldly came to a difficult place, bringing the love of God to a Japan in ruins. Although nowadays we are thriving materially, this country is full of countless spiritual and psychological problems. The Lord is looking for us to begin again and boldly commit ourselves to the difficult task of evangelism and bringing God's love to this hurting country.
The challenge of youth and inexperience ("Fearless Evangelism")
Fifty years ago almost all the pioneer missionaries in Japan were inexperienced young men and women in their twenties. They had no experience of life in Japan and they could not speak a word of Japanese. They started from such a position. It was evangelism without fear of failure or disgrace.
Today Japan is becoming an ageing society. The average age of pastors is also getting higher. I think I would like to give a chance to inexperienced young people. They are not afraid of failing. If we are afraid of failure we consider it too much trouble to attempt something new , and we become conservative and passive. In this year of returning to the beginning I think I'd like to take up the challenge of giving youth its chance, doing evangelism without the fear of failure, and even doing evangelism in areas where we have no experience.
The Second Reorganisation
We have been working on a second reorganisation since 1990. In addition to the SFDD leadership committee five departments have been formed, namely the church dept., training dept., world mission dept., home mission dept. and the missionary fellowship, each with their own activities. It is now possible for the missionary fellowship to have the same broad range of work as WEC did in the early days. We have begun to send missionaries, plant new churches and train Bible school students. Heading towards the 21st century we face the following challenges.
World Mission: for Japan to move from being a country that receives missionaries to one that sends them. At the present time Shozo Yamamoto, Munenobu Nakazawa, Hayato Fukui and their families are working in North America, New Zealand and South Africa respectively. Over and above that I want the SFDD to become a group that can send technical missionaries through support missions and send young people as short-term missionaries. I also pray that a legal base and training facility can be set up for sending missionaries overseas.
Church Planting in Japan: Fifty years ago the work began from scratch. Today we have become an association of 17 churches, 29 Japanese workers, 18 missionaries and 684 members.
Fifty years ago the pioneer missionaries' plans were to spend five years in Shiga, evangelising and planting churches. Then the whole missionary team would relocate to Nara, spend another five years there in planting churches and then the team would move on to the next prefecture. This explains why Yoshino church was planted in Nara, a long way from the existing churches. They had such a vision for the whole of the country. As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary, I pray that the SFDD's work will expand into a wider area than just Shiga, Kyoto and Nara prefectures.
In order to see this happen I think we need to look at ways for missionaries from Asian and South American churches to join us other than coming through WEC.
Training: for Hebron Bible Institute to be reopened for the training of pastors, elders and leaders; for people with the gifts and calling to work there and for new pastors etc. to be called. I am asking that a training system can be set up which will be primarily for the teaching and training of pastors and those preparing for full time ministry but extending beyond that to elders, deacons and those in leadership positions.
Church Growth: above everything the core of our work is church growth and I long to see the fellowship of love deepening in the churches and the understanding of faith becoming richer, so that pastors, elders, deacons, and church members are built up as one body in love. My vision is for the number of financially independent churches to increase, for churches to plant churches and for planted churches to plant churches.
WEC missionary fellowship: to have its own independent strategy to plant and nurture churches and to co-operate with the SFDD, also to stimulate and help churches of all denominations in the vision of world mission.
Aiming for 50 Churches and 2000 Members
With the 21st century in the near future is a vision of 50 churches with 2000 members too big? With the agreement of love and faith let's pray that this vision will become reality. Let's pray for each department of the SFDD to be blessed and for their work to grow. With everyone working and praying together may we see this vision become reality soon.
With this vision let's welcome the 21st century.