A new church, a new partnership and new believers

If the disaster of March 11, 2011 hadn’t happened, our mission would very likely not be working in Tohoku; the church we partner with probably wouldn’t exist; and we wouldn’t know the Japanese people with whom we are building trust and sharing the gospel.

The triple disaster of March 11, 2011 forced our mission to consider the needs of Tohoku. It caused us to think about how we could personally assist the church there, and it brought us in contact with displaced people who were without hope.

My wife and I are now assisting Watari Bible Christ Church, which is in the coastal village of Arahama in southern Miyagi Prefecture.

This church was begun by Pastor Kumada in November 2011 in a house that had been flooded. He, together with many volunteers, remodeled the first floor of a home owned by Christians. One thing that attracted us to help him was his heart and passion to reach out to those who had been displaced. Having previously worked in a yakitori van, he used this as a way to connect with residents in the temporary housing units. Several of those he connected with early on now attend the church.

People did not immediately become spiritually open following the disaster. However, it did give them a chance to encounter Jesus through meeting Christian volunteers. As we considered moving to Watari, I spent a couple of days helping Kumada clean out another home that had been flooded. He had already cleaned many homes for local residents. I found this work fulfilling. It made me feel as if I was doing something worthwhile in the disaster recovery. I also saw neighbors looking on with interest.

Imagine my surprise when about a year later, when we were living in Watari, I met the owner of that home on a Sunday morning in church. She had been attending for about a year. We have since enjoyed visiting her in her newly remodeled home. If the disaster had not occurred, she probably would never have come to church.

The disaster has enabled many more people in Tohoku to see and hear the gospel. It has also made it possible for missionaries to partner with national workers in evangelizing communities and starting new churches.

Pastor Kumada told us that it was only after the disaster that he desired to work with missionaries. Now, after almost two years of ministering together, we are very thankful for the Lord’s grace and faithfulness in this partnership.

Some keys to our ability to work together include:

» Freedom. Pastor Kumada gives us freedom to use our God-given gifts and abilities. Early on, he gave us time to figure out how to fit into the ministry here. Naturally, he wanted us to support him in his yakitori distribution and in his way of “doing church,” but aside from that, we had the freedom to sense what God wanted us to do. The result is that we have some English classes, but we also lead worship on Sunday mornings. And we have discovered other ways to make contacts and build relationships with people in the community.

» Humility. This is an essential component of partnerships between missionaries and Japanese pastors. When we committed ourselves to working here with the Kumadas, we basically said “we will do things your way.” That was not human nature speaking! Rather, it was humility in the power of the Spirit. However, in our weakness, this quality waxes and wanes.

» Communication and prayer. We’ve discovered that the potential for misunderstanding and conflict balloons when we don’t communicate honestly with each other. Starting a new church may seem glamorous at first, but it is slow going. We are seeking to gather people who don’t have a lot in common, except maybe their age and being in temporary housing together. There is potential for a lot of friction, which in turn can affect our relationship as leaders. However, when we talk about it transparently and pray about it, desperately seeking the Lord’s help together, there is victory.

Five years on, there is a church in Arahama! That is saying a lot. There are many reasons why this would not necessarily be the case:

»The volunteers have stopped coming. This church was helped tremendously by those who came and ministered in the community and also assisted in the remodeling of the church building. However, that number has drastically decreased.

»The outside donations have dropped off. There is always something to spend money on: land, yakitori, utilities, Sunday lunch, and advertising. We have been blessed to receive much. However, the contributions have decreased.

»The leaders have lost their passion. This is a pretty big one. A lot of people respond to events, but the Sunday morning attendance is small. And, the committed core of believers, uh well . . . sometimes we wonder where it is. And just when we thought we had one, somebody leaves. And it leaves us with less passion.

There is a church in Arahama because of the sovereignty of God and also because of our partnership and our commitment to each other. Because of the good news in Jesus Christ and also because of the disaster, we find ourselves in this place, doing this ministry. It’s not because we particularly wanted to, or even because of some great strategy to reach Tohoku. It is because God made a way where there wasn’t one. And he is bringing people together who will someday make up his church and accomplish his will. We are able to say together, “May your kingdom come, Lord!” Five years on, that’s what keeps us going.