Shaping a new generation of Christians

My one year as a student of Calvary Bible Institute (CBI) was when I experienced the greatest growth I’ve known as a Christian, becoming much more confident in my faith and more grounded in the Word.

The church building for Calvary Chapel Ginowan sits on a busy street in the city of Ginowan, Okinawa. A closer look will reveal that this building also hosts a Bible college that brings young believers in from all over the world. Pastor Tommy Ruiz started this Japan extension of the (Florida-based) Calvary Chapel Bible College about 20 years ago. Since then, it has changed and grown to become Calvary Bible Institute (CBI) Japan.¹

About the school

The school uses a bilingual program that is one to two years long and consists of an overview of the entire Bible as well as service ministry in various churches across the island. Personal testimonies of students, teachers, and visiting pastors from throughout Japan and the United States serve as a weekly encouragement. The pastors and interns who teach and serve here come from all walks of life, but all have the same goal: to train up youth in the knowledge of God’s Word.

The current heads of the school are Ms. Anna Hebel and Pastor Hiromichi Kinjo. Hebel came from Germany to attend Calvary Chapel Bible College in 2009, becoming a missionary in 2011. Kinjo is an Okinawan native, who attended Calvary Chapel Ginowan’s youth group, and after being encouraged and mentored by a pastor at the church, he attended the Bible college. He now teaches and runs the Japanese side of the school.

The other teachers are missionaries, pastors, and Japanese Christians who have been called to this ministry by various means and are serving God at the church and school. Guest pastors also come on occasion to teach special classes, allowing for a dynamic mix of people and unique experiences.

Student life

Each semester is super busy for students and teachers alike. Classes are mostly focused on teaching specific books of the Bible. Students who attend all four semesters will end up studying through the entire Bible, the history of missionary work, apologetics, and more.

But academic studies are only half of the experience. Students are expected to help out with the children’s ministry at the church, encouraged to use their talents on the worship team and taught how to run technology/media for church services. The students also take turns visiting other churches around the island to help with their Sunday morning services. The students also do weekly evangelistic work, such as passing out tracts in busy areas. The end of the semester includes a mission trip to nearby Taiwan.

My story

I attended CBI from 2024 to 2025. It was a challenging but amazing experience as I grew in faith and love for my Christian brothers and sisters. The testimonies of my teachers and classmates at first intimidated me; I felt that my faith could never be as strong as theirs. However, once I submitted to God and let him work in me, the testimonies were a much-needed encouragement. Being in the Word daily certainly changed my perspective on life and on my relationship with Jesus.

Most of the students are foreigners, coming over to Japan for the first time in a step of faith. Seeing so many of my classmates trying to navigate Japanese culture so that they can share the love of Jesus with the people here was very touching. Almost every week we would go out to the busy area of Mihama to pass out tracts and sing worship songs. While at first I was shy and awkward, the boldness of my classmates inspired me to go up to strangers and speak a few words with them. So far at least two of my American classmates have taken steps to become missionaries in Japan. The community at this school really invites people to want to join the work in Japan and come back for further missionary service and learning.

The people there are a tight-knit community that feels like a true family in God. Though I am no longer a student at CBI, I still keep in contact with the teachers and my former classmates. The current students come and visit my church on occasion, and I know that I am always welcome to any activities at Calvary Chapel Ginowan.

The next generation

One of the amazing things to come out of this school is the growth in faith of the Japanese Christians who attend. The students are an international mix of people, but there are always a few locals. In Japan, where Japanese pastors and congregations are getting older, it is of the utmost importance to train up younger Japanese in the faith as they will be the next generation of Japanese Christian leaders and pastors.

The goal of this ministry is to disciple young Christians in the Word of God, helping them to build a relationship with Jesus in their daily walk. The students also have an impact on the congregation of the church as they share what God has been teaching them. “They are encouraged to be a witness to their friends and coworkers and are equipped for ministry in Japan,” says Hebel, head of school.

I know of at least two attendees of Calvary Chapel Ginowan who later became students. Some of the Japanese Christians at the church are former Bible college students and are now amazing teachers, and translators. Some are young parents who are raising their children to fear and love the Lord.

Eternal impact

Though it was only a short period of my life, I experienced incredible growth in my Christian walk. I became a bolder and more motivated person. I am able to serve my Christian brothers and sisters with genuine love. One cannot spend so much daily time in the Word and not come away changed. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12 ESV).

Calvary Bible Institute is a place where people are being challenged to grow closer in their relationship with Jesus. Through the classes, ministry work, and tight-knit community, young Japanese Christians and foreigners who have Japan on their hearts are able to grow in their faith and missionary experience. The students are always in need of prayer as they face spiritual oppression while doing some of their first long-term missionary work. The teachers, too, are always blessed by those who pray for them as they seek to glorify God in their ministry and help the students grow in their walk with Jesus. May the Lord continue using his people here in Okinawa to bring Jesus to all of Japan!

1. https://www.cbij.org