Japan is the Focus of the AWF-APAC Leadership as they Meet in Hiroshima

The leadership of AWF-APAC (Asia Pacific Region) chose Japan as their meeting venue to encourage the century-old Japan Alliance Church to continue to share Jesus Christ in this country. Japan is totally open to missionary work but still has a population of less than 0.5% of evangelical Christians and an evangelical annual growth rate of -0.4%.

The recent APAC RCC (Regional Coordinating Committee) meeting, which was held in Hiroshima October 8-11, 2019, concluded with an action plan for 2020:

• Organize the Alliance Distinctive and Contextual Practice Seminar (April 20-24), in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Organize a probe trip to Bangladesh (April 15-18) for future C&MA work.
• Invite all missions directors of the APAC Region to join in the AWF World Missions Consultation (October 19) in Guayaquil, Ecuador, before the AWF Quadrennial Convocation.

A joint meeting of the APAC RCC and the Japan Alliance Church leadership on October 10 shared concerns about evangelization and church growth in Japan and how the connection with the global Alliance family may open new ministerial opportunities. There are 27 diaspora Alliance churches among Filipinos, Latinos and people from other Asian countries living in Japan. Some of them were started almost 30 years ago and are in an advanced stage of assimilation, meaning that the younger generations speak Japanese fluently. Young people from these churches are eager to serve in Japan, and some of them already are studying Bible and theology in recognized evangelical seminaries.

Following the APAC RCC Committee meeting in Hiroshima, President Jura Yanagihara and AWF-APAC Regional Coordinator Roland Lumawag went on to Tokyo on October 15 to meet with the pastors of the Japan Alliance Mission Church Network and Japan Alliance Church for fellowship and encouragement. During his presentation about the Alliance World Fellowship, President Jura stressed to the group the concept of true Alliance family, and he pointed to possible avenues for future ministry collaboration. Pastors from both groups could share their ministerial challenges and have time for mutual encouragement and prayer. The meeting ended with a sense of belonging and leaving an atmosphere of hope in the Lord for His blessings on His ministry through the lives of our Japanese workers.

The APAC RCC members were also blessed and encouraged by the kind and generous hospitality of the Japan Alliance Church through the leadership of Rev. Shinobu Tanaka and his team. We want to express our deep joy and appreciation to all of them.