Reflections on cross-cultural ministry in Japan
Long experience reveals shorter paths to healthy ministry
Initially, cross-cultural workers came to Japan as Christian leaders, but now many work in some kind of cooperation with established Japanese churches. While various statistics show that between 0.5% and 2% of the population (127 million) is Christian, I estimate that still only 0.3% are currently in active fellowship.1–5
However, I believe that God is working in Japan in a new way. Although thousands are not turning to Christ each month, Japanese are believing much sooner after hearing about the love of Jesus. How can cross-cultural workers continue to serve, encourage, and be salt and light to this precious but not-yet-perfect church?
Below are my thoughts on the state of God’s church and cross-cultural ministry in Japan. I realise that similarities exist with other cultures and would welcome comments and dialogue.
Possible areas for growth and change
Grace
While evangelicals emphasise grace, the reality is that many churches have unwritten rules that people need to follow to be “good Christians.” This results in believers feeling that they are not able to live up to the standards of the church and not able to admit to other Christians that they fail, causing many baptised believers to leave the church. It has been estimated that the average length of church life for Japanese Christians after baptism is only 2.8 years.6 May we be free to “confess our sins to each other and pray for each other” (Jam. 5:16, NLT), in an atmosphere of transparency and acceptance, modelling God’s unconditional grace.
Jesus first
For many years, I spent a lot of time initially going through Genesis so that Japanese could see who the true, creator God is. I now wonder if we should present Jesus earlier as Saviour (John 12:32) and show him as the one who “radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God” and “sustains everything by the mighty power of his command” (Heb. 1:3), and thus work from Jesus to present the Trinity.
Contextualization
There continues to be a need for a Japanese theology that is not based on German and American models. For example, while many evangelical pastors and cross-cultural workers know about Kanzō Uchimura and Toyohiko Kagawa, not many are interested to delve into the thought and theology of Kazō Kitamori or Kōsuke Koyama.7
Coming from South Africa, I feel that despite having very different levels of literacy and modernization, Japanese and many African cultures share more commonalities than Japanese and Western cultures. Animism and Shintoism are similar, as is the practice of ancestor worship. If so, our preaching may be more effective by having one central point and returning to this point in a circular way, using emotive illustrations to teach theological truth, as opposed to the traditional Western three-point sermon. (It is interesting to hear about the influence of black culture in Japan, especially among Japanese youth.8,9)
Because not-yet-Christian Japanese see sin as being caught committing a crime, could we not start off by preaching that Jesus bore our shame by dying on the cross? After establishing a connection in this shame-based society, we could then go on to teach about sin being internal, causing us to turn from God.
Ministry of all believers
Many pastors are tired because of a sense of duty that compels them to attend all church meetings. Delegating to Spirit-led, equipped believers would free them to have more time to lead and serve effectively. A fresh understanding of the reality of God’s grace, leading, and purpose may be needed for this to occur. I believe that one of the most important things we cross-cultural workers can do is uphold our Japanese pastors in daily, intercessory prayer.
Furthermore, many believers are tired of serving in a church that requires them to do activities that are not in line with their spiritual gifting. Thirty years ago, I was guilty of this by pressuring believers in a new church plant to support my desire to win Japanese for Christ by all means possible. On reflection, I was working for God but not working with God! Tiredness caused by service out of duty results in a steep drop in the joy that comes from following Jesus and doing “the good things he planned for us long ago” (Eph. 2:10).
May God grant us freedom to truly live in the moment with Jesus, “being” before “doing!”
Suffering
Marva J. Dawn writes, “Even as Christ accomplished atonement for us by his suffering and death, so the Lord accomplishes witness to the world through our weakness. In fact, God has more need of our weakness than of our strength.”10
The group nature of Japanese culture makes it difficult for people to be seen to be different. For the church to grow, Japanese Christians need to openly confess that they are followers of Jesus in the workplace, at school, in supermarkets, in spite of the suffering they may experience. They need our encouragement and support.
Paul proclaims, “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives” (Gal. 4:19). Japanese pastors feel this pain alongside us.11
Unity
On different occasions three Japanese pastors have said to me: “How can we experience revival in Japan when there is a lack of unity and cooperation between evangelical denominations and churches?”
The Sixth Japan Congress on Evangelism to be held in Kobe in September this year12 will see many pastors and cross-cultural workers come together for reflection, prayer, and discussion. Let us pray for “harmony . . . as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe” (Ps. 133:2), and that this harmony will filter down to local areas and groups. God’s love is seen through our mutual love and unity.
How can we, as cross-cultural workers, serve in Japan as part of Christ’s body?
- Humbly point people to Jesus, not ourselves.
- Grow daily in our walk with and worship of the living God.
- Express God’s unconditional grace and love in an extremely secular but “religious” country.
- Believe that God will minister through us no matter how bad our Japanese language is.
- Sacrificially identify with our brothers and sisters who often feel bound by their culture.
- Respect Japanese culture, while at the same time asking God to bring this culture and our own under the scrutiny of his Word.
- Engage in intercessory prayer and spiritual warfare.
- Ask God for faith to believe that he will grant revival to Japan.
- Model unity between ourselves and our various mission organizations.
“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:11–12).
1. Michael Hoffman, “Christian missionaries find Japan a tough nut to crack” The Japan Times, Dec. 20, 2014, accessed March 23, 2016, http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/20/national/history/christian-missionaries-find-japan-tough-nut-crack/#.VrUp98ekDzJ.
2. “Christianity in Japan,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Japan, accessed March 23, 2016.
3. “Joshua Project: Japan,” http://joshuaproject.net/countries/JA, accessed March 23, 2016.
4. “Operation World: Japan,” http://www.operationworld.org/japa, accessed March 23, 2016.
5. “OM: Japan,” http://www.omjapan.org/en/home/about-japan, accessed March 23, 2016.
6. Kikuo Matsunaga, “Theological Education in Japan,” in In Preparing For Witness: 1998 Cook Theological Seminar, ed. Jean S. Stoner, (1999), 295-311.
7. “Japanese Theology (Part 2)” Project Japan, Aug 16, 2013, accessed March 23. http://www.projectjapan.org/pj/Article/Entries/2013/8/16_Japanese_Theology_(Part_2).html
8. “Black History in Japan: Did you Know?” http://www.blacktokyo.com/2015/ 02/27/black-history-in-japan-did-you-know/, accessed March 23, 2016.
9. “Black lifestyle in Japan,” YouTube video, https://youtu.be/_Qe4AZRkFYE, accessed March 24, 2016.
10. Marva J. Dawn, Powers, Weakness and the Tabernacling of God (Eerdmans, 2001), 47.
11. Evan Burns, “The Missionary Life: No Shortcuts,” The Gospel Coalition, Dec. 5, 2014, accessed March 24, 2016, http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-missionary-life-no-shortcuts
12. “Invitation to the Sixth Japan Congress on Evangelism”, Japan Update, Spring 2015, http://jeanet.org/_userdata/pdf/JapanUpdate_69.pdf, accessed March 24, 2016.
Photo: https://pixabay.com/en/bible-holy-hands-pray-prayer-706641/