Ken was a faithful visionary mission-ary to the Japanese from 1950 –2009. When he joined WEC, Len Moules, the international leader of WEC, commented ‘Ken can see farther down the road than most’.
It was his passion for IVF student ministry in NZ that took Ken to Japan where he was a KGK (TSCF) staff worker as well as being the leader of the WEC Japan field for fourteen of those years. He was instrumental in the change over to Japanese leadership both in the student ministry and later in the WEC related churches. Al-though WEC’s focus was rural CP, Ken was burdened early on for the city of Kyoto. Today, three of the ex-isting WEC-led churches in Kyoto grew from Bible studies he began in homes.
People were inspired to pray for mis-sions through a monthly bulletin Ken printed and circulated to many of the local churches. He also foresaw the need to prepare
Japanese for cross-cultural ministry and together with Betty, set up the first Missionary Training Course in
their Kyoto home. In ten years they prepared and saw more than fifty Seminary and Bible College graduates sent out by the Japanese church. These ministries both continue today with Japanese leadership.
At 70 Ken was asked to found the Hebron Bible Institute to train pastors and leaders for ministry. Three years later, Ken and Betty retired to Christ-church, NZ where for the next nine-teen years they continued to impact hundreds of Japanese for Jesus. To-day the healthy Japanese Christian Fellowship, with a Japanese pastor, is testament of God’s blessing on their faithful ministry.
In his own quiet and enigmatic way Ken had the amazing capacity of in-spiring all he met whether leading university students to faith in Christ; implanting the vision of mission in Japanese pastors and young people; encouraging the emerging church into leadership or new missionaries to per-severe. He conscientiously modelled servant-leadership for the next gen-erations. He recorded many of his life experiences in the three books he authored.
A month before his 93rd birthday on June 15th he peacefully passed away.
Written by Irelle White –
WEC NewZealand