[Overseas Mission Report 5] The Fire of Revival Is Ablaze in Japan, along with the Expansion of the Japanese Ministry after Dr. Jaerock Lee's Crusades
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March 07, 2010 |
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 In Japanese there are 8 million gods recognized and 90% of its population believes in Shinto and Buddhism. Actually, Christianity is weak-rooted in this country, so the number of Christians is less than 1% of its population. With a weak missionary foundation, it is said that converting a single Japanese person to Christianity is as difficult as converting 100 Koreans. Despite this situation, the United Holiness Church of Jesus Christ, Japan has 14 branch churches including Ida Manmin Church and associative churches all over Japan. They are actively accomplishing the evangelization of Japan.
The Evangelization of Japan Is Being Actively Accomplished since the Korea-Japan Great Evangelization Crusade with Dr. Jaerock Lee
Some Japanese pastors who first heard the holiness gospel through the Korea-Japan Great Evangelization Crusade held in Korea in 1992 had constantly requested Manmin Central Church to commission missionaries and establish branch churches in Japan. Eventually in January 1994, Pastor Seung-gil Ryu was commissioned as a missionary and started his ministry by establishing Ida Manmin Church located in Ida, Nagano Prefecture which is in the center of the Honshu region.
In November of that year, the 1994 Evangelization Crusade in Ida was held with the Speaker Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee. After the Great Crusade in Shinshu, held in September 1996, the Japanese ministry began to be accomplished more vigorously. Since then, Pastors Kangsup Chang, Kyungtae Chung, Ami Song and Marco Kim were commissioned as missionaries and founded branch churches in Yamagata, Tokyo and Kobe, and Japanese pastors including Pastors Isao Kato, Yasuhiro Tokikuni, Miyako Tokikuni and Miki Komatsu set up branch churches in Beppu, Nagoya and Asahikawa. In September of 2000, at The Nagoya Miracle Convention, 13 deaf-mutes came to hear and speak at once after receiving Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer and greatly glorified God. This gave the Japanese members and the missionaries great strength and faith, and they came to work for their ministries even more positively.
Central Region: Ida, Nagoya and Matsumoto Manmin Church
Ida Manmin Church, which laid the foundation in Japanese ministry, has grown into a big church that has over 100 members of the congregation as of February 2010. Furthermore, they established Tokyo Manmin Mission Center to evangelize the country in a systematic way at this time. They are holding pastors' seminars and using Information Technology (IT) in their ministry. For the Japanese people who don't know what Christianity is very well, they approached the people naturally through social volunteer works. They formed a missionary organization named 'Ida Manmin Volunteers.' They officially registered at Ida Social Welfare Association to work for the welfare of the aged, and they participated in charity works performing puppet plays and worship dances for young students and spread the gospel. As these activities were widely known through media, Ida Manmin Church received Local Area Administrator's Award, and Pastor Sueng-gil Ryu received the Mayor's prize from Ida city. 'Ida Manmim Volunteers' is expanding their social service for teenagers and citizens. On November 23rd of last year, the church established a welfare facility for the aged named the 'Manmin Day Service, Mitsubasa' and is sending the Lord's love.
Pastor Noboru Yoshikawa, Former Head Pastor of Nagoya Grace Church registered as a branch church of Manmin after witnessing the power of God at the 1994 Evangelization Crusade in Ida. Later, Pastor Yasuhiro Tokikuni became the Head Pastor of this church and is taking charge of the members. Particularly, the healing of a child named Kohei Komai who had been sitting in a wheel chair with rheumatism arthritis, contributed a lot to this church's becoming a branch church. Matsumoto Manmin Church (Pastor Masaaki Ito) registered as a branch church in February, 2004 and offered the Dedication Service in April of the year. Since then, the church has been vigorously working for its ministry holding handkerchief meetings.
Ida Manmin Church that has grown into a church with a 100-member-plus congregation and the church is experiencing revival through social volunteer works and handkerchief meetings.
Yamagata Manmin Church was founded by members evangelized by the Joos who received blessing of conception.
In just one and a half years since its founding, Maizuru Manmin Church has purchased a new sanctuary with the offerings of its members.
Eastern Region: Asahikawa, Yamagata, Hokota, Yachiyo, Tokyo Tabata, Tokyo, Kawasaki Manmin Churches and Tsurumi Evangelical Church (associative church)
Asahikawa Manmin Church located in Hokkaido (the northernmost part of Japan) was established by Pastor Komatsu Miki who came to know Pastor Seung-gil Ryu by a pastor and received much grace through Manmin ministry.
In Yamagata, Elder Jae-gyu Joo and his wife Yoon-young Choi, who conceived a baby through Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer, evangelized several infertile couples and started offering service with them in 1997. Finally, Pastor Kangsup Chang was commissioned as a missionary in 1998 and established Yamagata Manmin Church. In June of the following year, they constructed a new sanctuary and the members are receiving many blessings both in spirit and in flesh.
Tokyo Tabata Manmin Church is ministered by Pastor Kyungtae Chung and Missionary Ami Song. Pastor Kim became spiritually energized by listening to the cassette tapes of Dr. Jaerock Lee's 'The Message of the Cross' while he was studying abroad in Japan. They offer services in three different languages: Korean, Japanese and Chinese. The youth members in particular are conducting vigorous activities in this church.
Pastor Sangsu Kim (Kawasaki Manmin Church) is evangelizing the neglected people running a noodle restaurant. Tokyo Manmin Church (Pastor Byungran Choi) and Yachiyo Manmin church (Pastor Hisanao Aoki) are also working hard to spread the holiness gospel.
Hokota Manmin Church was founded by Brother Masaru Itsuka who was healed of anthropophobia. Also, Pastor Maeda Saetaka of Tsurumi Evangelical Church (associative church) experienced the power of God when he was healed of diverticulum of his large intestines.
Western Region: Osaka, Maizuru, Okayama and Beppu Manmin Churches
Kansai Manmin Church was founded in September 1999 by Pastor Marco Kim who was deeply touched by reading Dr. Jaerock Lee's testimonial memoir Tasting Eternal Life before Death, and the church he pastored changed its name to Osaka Manmin Church in March 2001. The church is experiencing abundant physical, material and spiritual blessings. The number of members attending the service has been steadily rising and the church's finances have also increased.
In April 2004, Pastor Marco Kim went to Maizuru to visit several members. At the request of the members, he visited them twice a month and led the services. In 2005, Sister Akiyo Hirouchi's three-month-old granddaughter named Yuna, had cardiac septal defect, a 4.5mm hole, in her heart. But by Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer transcending space and time, she was healed and the members' faith became greater. Eventually he founded Maizuru Manmin Church with 7 members in September 2005 and through the members' passionate deeds of faith, they could purchase the sanctuary with their offerings within one and a half year of its foundation.
Beppu Manmin Church located in Kyushu (the southernmost part of Japan) was founded after Pastor Isao Kato received much grace at the 1994 Evangelization Crusade in Ida. Okayama Manmin Church (Yasuhiro Tokikuni) is spreading the holiness gospel having fellowship with churches near Okayama and in Shikoku Island. Many of the branches are holding handkerchief meetings so the members are leading their Christian life with the fullness of the Holy Spirit by experiencing healings as well as the growth of their faith, and the church is in revival. Through this, the new believers are given faith to receive salvation. Those who had weak faith come to have true faith and hope for heaven and church workers are working more passionately. We hope that the fire of revival would burn higher and higher in this country where the living God is being testified with the holiness gospel and the powerful works of God.
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