A Brief History of Covenant Work in Japan

A Brief History of Covenant Work in Japan

In 1949, as communism took over China, foreign missionaries were forced to leave that country. Covenant missionaries working there, and those preparing to go to China, were forced to think in new directions. Some of them felt God was calling them to begin a new work in Japan.

At the end of World War II, Japan was a country in ruins, poor and yet eager to rebuild. When Covenant missionaries arrived, they sensed that many Japanese people were open to hear about Jesus. In the early 1950’s these missionaries, working with Japanese partners planted several churches in the Kanto region, which is an area comprising the city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures. These churches were the beginning of the Japan Covenant Church.

Since the planting of churches was central to the goals of this new organization it quickly became a necessity to have adequate training for young leaders and so by 1952 the Covenant Seminary, located in Tokyo, was begun by missionaries and Japanese pastors. For 50 years it has trained men and women to be pastors and lay leaders. Some of the students come from Covenant churches, while many others come from other denominations.

While the planting of local churches has been central to the work, there have been other ministries and institutions which have come about over the years. Along with the work of the seminary the Japan Covenant Church has also been involved in camping through the Akagi Bible Camp, a small facility purchased in 1963, and located on top of Mt. Akagi in Gunma Prefecture north of Tokyo. Campers, from elementary school students to adults, come every summer to enjoy the cool mountain air and to learn about Jesus. Many have accepted Christ as their Savior at this camp.

The Odawara Christian Center has been a kind of pilot project as it seeks to be a center for outreach in the city of Odawara while functioning as a community center. It offers conversational English classes, English Bible studies, training programs for Christians who live in the area, and several other ministries. Short-term missionaries from Covenant churches in the U.S. and Canada have done much of the work of this Center.

In more recent years, some churches are finding exciting ways to share Jesus with their communities, through programs and facilities that care for the elderly, mothers with preschool children, the handicapped, and those who are homeless.

The Japan Covenant Church numbers about 25 churches with several new outreach points. They are divided into 3 districts (Northern Area, Tokyo Area, Kanagawa Area) which cover 5 prefectures and the city of Tokyo. The churches are small, but pastors and lay people are eager to help family members, friends and neighbors come to know Jesus Christ. While the Japan Covenant Church is still a small denomination it is part of a network of over 7,300 churches ministering in Japan.