Tokyo

Volume 66
about ten times our

"Go ye into all the tvorld and preach the gospel to every creature' Mark 16:15
January 1967

Christian
Number 1

KAMIOCHIAI CHURCH
^ H E KAMIOCHIAI CHURCH
celebrated Christmas for the

children on Sunday the 18th.

There were about 85 children
that attended. This is of course

usual

number. If only we could teach that many

every Sunday, there would be a great harvest in this next generation. And greater
in the next, or following generation.
The adults' special service was Christ

mas evening. We had planned to go to the hospital and bring Minagawa San in for

Christmas, but since she had a light cold

a carload of us went in the afternoon and

took her a present, making her very happy. A candlelight service in the early evening,

followed by lunch, games and an exchange of gifts completed Christmas Day,

January 1 coming on Sunday this year
was not good for the worship services. But

nevertheless 17 persons attended, and 15

of them stayed and ace tsukiyaki which Mabel prepared. The first five days of the New Year are perhaps the most important holiday season for the Japanese. Many have gone home. For the first few days nothing
moves (except buses and trains), and this

great city of Tokyo becomes like a sleeping giant. But about the sixth day it awakens with a groan, lumbers to its feet, and with
a frightful roar heads off in the direction

Sunday, January 8, at the Kamiochiai Church. Brother Emitero Reyes of the Philippines was the visiting speaker. He is on his way to New York to work with the Go Ye Chapel. Also in the picture is the Bill Miller family, (military) and formerly of First Christian Church, Cocoa Beach, Florida. Mrs. Miller is wearing a Hght coat standing in the doorway. Mr. Miller standing in front with youngest daughter Rebecca. Also Exie Fultz, the Warrick family and David Buttray.
Looking forward to this New Year 1967, its possibilities are as rich as the promises of God. At present, there are

of 1967. Since this is the year of the Sheep, such antics are certainly unexpected. But when we remember that this century is rapidly coming to a close, our thoughts return to the description of the Last Days of Jesus, and like a jigsaw puzzle the last few pieces rapidly fall into place. Who can deny it? The promise: "... and unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time without sin unto salva

CHRISTMAS IN THE HOMELAND

This was our first Christmas In the

about six or seven new persons attending U.S. since 1959, and of course many things
tians. Pray for them and us, the responsi being able to visit the Sims' parents and ble leaders and members of the church, brothers during the holidays and have
that God will use us to a victorius church leisurely visits while the children played in the basement with their new toys. throughout this year. Another great blessing was the good Now chat we have enteced the New music provided by the Seminary Choir and
the Chorus in their Christmas concerts. On

which are good prospects to become Chris

were different for us. The chief joy was in

tion" (Hebrews 9:28) will be sufficient for

those Christians, whether in Japan or the U.S., who will be found watching, waiting,
and working. Looking back at 1966 and its results is not a pleasant pastime, but a necessary one. And when we view the facts, we find they are less than encouraging. For
example, the local church here at Kamiochiai

Year 1967. our third five years in Japan is coming to a ck>se. We are planning on leaving here on our third furlough early in
June after our son David is out of school.

December 15 a very large group of the Seminary students came and honored us

Our exact departure date has not yet been

set, but we will let you know in the next
Tokyo Christian.

by singing carols in front of our house for

a long time, and we will remember that

harmony and Christmas spirit a long time.

We even got a "box from home." Our

during the year had a casualty list that almost doubled the eight baptisms. Even so, caking everything into consideration,
God is still on the Throne! And our faith

rests not in man, but in HIM who has all

authority and power in Heaven and earth.

We shall do everything to restore the stray

ing and lost sheep into the Fold. For the
heart of the Father ... is our desire.

Japanese friends got together and packed a travel funds. But God will supply our every pretty large box of rice crackers, tea and need as he has in the past. We are looking instant ramen (noodles) which they knew forward to the blessing of your fellowship we enjoyed and probably could not get once, again. Please write if you want us to over on this side. Lois had a sukiyaki party for the visit you. (Please note our change of missionary children from Japan now study address). Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Buttray ing ac the Cincinnati Bible Seminary on December 20. All che girls dressed in 2 Chome, 26-4, Kamiochiai kimonos, and everything was done in real Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, Japan Furlough brings with it the need for
style.
Harold Sims

Vol. 66

Tokyo Christian January 1967

No. 1

One of the Tokyo Christians

beauty replace ashes? Would rejoicing and
praise replace sorrow and discontent?

Published four times a year in January, April, July and November for
the missionaries of the Church of

You Should Know

"The answer seems to be in the nega

Christ Cunningham Mission, Tokyo, Japan by Mission Services, 509 W. Jefferson, Joliet, Illinois. Second class postage paid at Joliet, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Buttray, 2-26-4 Kamiochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan Forwarding Agent; Mrs. Homer Anderson 622 Cullum Street, Meadville, Pa. 16335. Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Patton, 3-7-8
Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Forwarding Agent: Mr. and Mrs.

tive. But it will surely become affirmative

when we would fulfill our obligations to

our neighbor, our community, and to our nation you to the U.S. and me to Japan in such a way that God ivould approve. "I unll strive again to dedicate the
year of 1967 to service in His name. I

believe He would grant us all vision of

purpose, wisdom in action, and faith that He will sustain and strengthen us for the
wo'k He would have us do. Amen,

G. Wade

Fletcher, 621

E.

10th St..

Rushville, Ind. 46173 Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sims {Furlough Address), 2801 Warsaw Ave., Cincin

nati, Ohio 45204. Forwarding Agent: First Church of Christ, Orange at Center
St., Eustis, Fla. 32726. Two-year subscription

Katsunori Kogure'

The writer of this good Christian mes

sage first came to our door eight or ten

years ago when he was a bright and cheer

$ .50

Subscription and Flaming Torch S1.00\

t-mank
YOO
The Pattons would like to heartily
thank all of you good friends who remem bered us at Christmas time. These reminders of your love and fellowship took various

by the hand of one of the young men at the Sunday evening meeting at Nakano (which Nakano church in Tokyo. We hope it would was then an English Bible Class) for a not violate privacy to share the message long time, but didn't show much response with you. to the Bible message. They were busy
ernment) University English Language well as the words to a familiar Sunday and Literature Department.
school chorus were drawn in ^Kodomo

ciated most this year was personalized with a picture drawn and a message written

One of the Christmas cards we appre

Katsunori Kogure

ful high school student anxious to learn English by conversation practice with a
paper downtown, and they lived just a few
houses down the street in back of us.

foreigner. His father worked for a news

He and his good friend attended the

forms from letters of encouragement and greetings, to Christmas cards, gifts, and monetary gifts. All of these things helped make our celebration of Christmas very
enjoyable. Enough Christmas cards were
received from our friends in America and

"One Sunday morning I heard some children sing their hymn: (on the next line the musical staff and correct notes, etc. as
Tomo wa, Donata, Donata?' This

studying for entrance examinations, and he

was admitted to the Hosei (Law and Gov

During the summer of 1962 he attended

no

would

be translated 'The Friend of chil

our Christian youth camp at Lake Motosu, and at the concluding campfire he made a
very fine talk about his impressions of the place, people and lessons learned from

Japan to teach about half way around our living room after we had taped them to the wall. We are still enjoying some of the
food
to

dren: Who Is He? Who is He? It is Jesus, of course.*) Ms they sang their hymn there came

God's Word. He said he was not yet ready

to make a decision for Christ, but he felt sure the day would come. Later that fall he came forward one Sunday to make a fine, clear confession of Christ, and was baptized Into Him.
Some months later he went with me

and goodies that our friends back

home sent us. And we shall use the money

sent to us personally as Christmas gifts
purchase some items which we have

long needed in our mission work.

1 think that Betty has already written each of you who sent us gifts at Christmas time thanking you for your thoughtfulness.
We wish this word here to be a further

expression of our gratitude. Thank you

again.
Andrew Pattron

EVANGELISTIC MEETING IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

to me this marvelous fact that they were singing to the same Lord to whom children came in person almost 2,000 years ago. "Times change, customs alter, the years pass, but there is One who is not subject to change or alteration Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, "This truth gives me certainty in the midst of change. It gives me the assurance of having a Friend to whom / can turn when earthly friends leave me. "The Lord who made Peter a man of rock the Lord who sustained Paul during his life of service and persecution this
Lord is the same today. He is able to transform and sustain. "Gracious and eternal Lord, unchang ing in love and friendship, in redeeming and sustaining power, would hear us as we ask for a deep realization of His oneness with us in our ivork and our pastime. He would make us, as we fervently pray, children of the light and teach us that in fellowship with Him we find perfect liberty. "The year 1967 is at hand, and it is

one week-day night to an evangelistic meeting in one of our sister churches. I

remember well that after a sermon on the

Resurrection

and Lordship of Christ we

had a long talk about the deeper things of the heart as we walked home together
through cne dark, quiet streets. It was

reassuring to me to see his faith becoming

more firmly grounded.

From November 20- 25we were privileged to be \-ith our livinglink church (First Christian in Charlottesville, Virginia) for an evangelistic meeting. God richly blessed
us in many ways. We were thankful to have

He was asked to help with the Sunday school teaching at the local church, and began to take a lively interest in the neighborhood children and in preparing
his Bible lessons. He also asked Lois and

three people added. Two young ladies were baptized into Christ, and the father of one transferred his membership from one of the
rural churches in the state. It was a

me

to help him

and some of the other

young people to organize a young people's group in the church and he would plan
various outings and other activities and

golden opportunity for the church families and us to get better acquainted with one
another. Lois and I visited this church

for the first time during our honeymoon, and

always take a quiet but enthusiastic part in games, programs, music and other things. In March of 1965 he graduated from about time we made new resolutions. I have made many resolutions, but the big- the University and began working at the
gest among them is that it will be the 'Year Victor Record Company. He became very busy learning his new job, and there were of the Lord'' "It would mean many things which many temptations and struggles in adjustIsaiah mentions. There would be intoler to the new life in the business world. For

it was at that time that they began support ing Lois on a livinglink basis. But if I remember correctly we have spent a total
of only six weekends In Charlottesville in the past 20 years.
Harold Sims

ance of evil. Or would there be a complete rebuilding and repair of lives and areas

a while he gave up his teaching in the Sunday school, and he wrote one or two that are now wasted and desolate? Would (Continued on page 4)

ARAKAWA WORK RESTARTED

N THE PRECEDING issue of

NEWS BITS
The Japanese minister who was asked
to assume the leadership of the Sakurayama

best

impart

moral

principles

to their

Tokyo Christian we announced a plan CO begin the Arakawa church work again. This plan has now become a reality. On January 1, the first Sunday
school service of this new work was held.

children. In other words, they are not interested in Christ as Savior, in the Chris

church has given a negative answer. This

means that I will have to continue for the

tian's God, in salvation, or eternal life as offered in Christ. They seek naked morality,

present as leader of this church as well as

that of the Arakawa work

New Years being the important holiday chat ii is in Japan and with everything at a standstill and the people closed up tightly in their homes on that day, we had some misgivings about launching this new work on January 1. Nevertheless, that date
seemed to be the most convenient time on

but are ignorant of the fact that the moti vating power behind morals is spirituality
a faith in God who established morals and

Mrs. Audrey West passed through Tokyo recently on her way back to Okayama
Prefecture and her work for Christ there.

who will punish the wicked and reward the

righteous.

Miss Mary Harding of Oregon, a retired

school teacher who has been touring the

In spite of the difficulties involved, when we opened the doors for Sunday school on the first day of the New Year, nine
children were in attendance and we had a

which to begin. So we readied the building and did what advertising we had time for
before that date.

wonderful time studying together concerning

the birth of Christ, the first lesson in a series on the life of Christ. On the second

Orient Japan weeks can to

hope will result in much good being done

students studying

to help in missionary work, is in now. She will be in Toyko for three in February and we will do what we arrange engagements for her that we

The building has been repaired and

redecorated and it now looks neat and

Sunday, 14 children attended and it looks

like we are off to a small but growing start. We started with the Sunday school because it is easier that way and because
we needed more time to advertise the adult

for Christ here. Her former teaching expe rience and contact with many foreign

inviting a place that people would like

to visit rather than one to be shunned.

in America qualify
Paul Pratts in

her well for this work.

The neighbors have remarked to us about the wonderful change in the premises. Some of them have shown interest in sending their children to the Sunday school and there seems to be a general change of attitude toward the place where the church services are to be held at least. Generally, however, when the usual Japanese parent

All of our missionaries now in Toyko

met at the home of the

meetings. As our time permits we intend

to advertise the adult meetings well and

Ischara several miles southwest of Toyko

on December 26 for our annual Christmas

begin this work also. Then when the weather gets a little warmer we will plan an evangelistic meeting to continue over a period of several nights. This should get
the adult work off to a good start also.

dinner. Though we missionaries are few in

number, when every member of such assem bles, it adds up to a sizable house full. (Continued on page 4)

expresses interest in sending his child to

a Sunday school his attitude is different from that of an American parent, for

For nearly ten years almost nothing has

been done in this community as far as

instance. He is very interested in his child's growing up to be a morally upright person and he thinks that Christianity can

evangelism is concerned. We are praying for a change in this trend.

Andrew Patlon

Markle, Indiana Faith-Promise Rally

Twenty years ago, as we were getting ready to leave for missionary service in
Tokyo, Japan, associated with Mrs. Cun from the four corners of the earth reflecting needs that God alone is able to supply. As' you bow in that room, with a map of the
of the children were in the audience. Most

ningham, I was looking around for a church to take the remaining $300 of my $1200
yearly livinglink support that had not been

world emphasizing the greatness of the need, you get the feeling that God is near
to hear and great in power and will to answer. I might also mention that God has given these brethren material blessings also. Generally their farms are prosperous, their children happy, healthy and loyal to Christ and the church. They have a beauti ful new educational building and a nice parking lot across the street from the chiu'ch. Last year they supported in a substantial way 14 foreign missionaries, 11 different missionary or evangelism projects in the U.S., seven different educational institu tions and six benevolences; with a total

pledged. I had done some supply preaching

for the Markle Church of Christ earlier that

year, so at the suggestion of their minister, Brother Richard Burton, they agreed to pledge $300 yearly for my support with some hesitation. I believe this was just about the beginning of what has grown into an outstanding contribution to the mission ary work and vision of our people by this small-town congregation in northern Indiana.
The Markle church has continued to

of them turned in their own cards, pledging amounts such as $6.00 per year on faith. And they saw their parents launching out on faith and in truly joyous and sacrificial giving. That was a lesson in giving that was truly Christian and unforgettable. 2. There was no tjallyhoo or pressure. Rather there was about the whole meeting a

support us faithfully through all these years not only by the regular sum of
money (it has been increased in recent

of something over $20,000 disbursed during the year. This is approximately the same
amount as is budgeted for the local work.
After their successful Faith-Promise

years, by the way), but in prayer, friendly

encouragement through letters and sincere interest in our work and needs. It has

Rally in October 1965 they put in a long

distance call to our house to share the good news with us. Unfortunately we were not

always been a great pleasure to us to visit

the people there during our furloughs. And

we have watched with both wonder and

thanksgiving

the

steady growth

in the

at home that Monday morning (late Sunday

night in Indiana), and the Japanese preach er's wife who answered the phone could not understand the message. It was several months before we found out what happened.
So I resolved to attend their Faith-Promise

spirit of quietness, confidence, sharing and prayer. As cards were counted there was a lot of singing "Faith Is the Victory." 3. The total went steadily upward like a bird riding effortlessly on the wind. When the goal was exceeded with a total promised of over $25,000 (more than $100 for every man, woman and child in the building) there was no cheering or applause. Just a quiet prayer of thanks giving, singing of the doxology and a few tears. But the spirit of joy, similar to that on Christmas morning after we have given good big gifts to our loved ones, was apparent. The room was full of the sense of unity, because all sharing and sacrificing together had achieved this. There was an evident dedication to the great tasks
that each had set for himself. To me all

contributions of this church to the cause

of evangelism around the world. Most of the missionaries I know have visited this

of this is of the same kind as the fellow ship enjoyed by the Christians we read of
in the New Testament. I believe all of this is the work of the

good church, and have come away with affection and respect for these generous
and devoted people.
As a result of their love for Christ and

Rally in October 1966, if at all possible.

I was there for the last three days of the Rally (October 7-9) and it was a highlight of my missionary experience.

Holy Spirit. As a mi.ssionary I am intensely grateful to God for the privilege of being
supported by such a group of Christians. Let the financial and spiritual support from such a congregation to the various evangelists be as direct as possible. Let it grow without man-made organization and control. Let God lead on. Harold Sims

His work, God has blessed these folks

with spiritual growth. It is a rare privilege to attend one of their prayer meetings, and

see

them earnestly join in prayer for

specific requests that have been sent in

The goal for 1967 had been set at $22,000. It was thrilling to see the total mounting up, of course, but there were other things that also impressed me. 1. All

HOW A JAPANESE FOUND GOD

Yasojo Nakamura was born in Yokohama, Japan. As a child he sometimes went to a Sunday school conducted by a church in
district of Yokohama and from this a new

SIMS' VISITS
Between September 1 and the end of the year Harold Sims visited and spoke at the following churches. We are very thank
ful for the invitations from all these

church grew. Finally he became interested in attend ing a Bible college to prepare himself to
be a Christian minister and enrolled in a

his neighborhood. Even so his knowledge of God was scanty and he did not have very -much interest in Christianity. Growing into young manhood did not help him in this respect either, for it only served to harden his indifferent attitude toward spiritual things.
Then the war came on and he found

college managed by an inter-denominational group in Tokyo. Later he and some of his

fellow students became dissatisfied with

himself in the Japanese army and stationed

on a lonely island in the Pacific near the Marshalls. In his spare time he became acquainted with a young boy who was a native of the island. Yasojo began to teach the boy a Christmas carol he had learned in Sunday school back in his native Yoko hama when he was a boy himself and they sang the carol together. He was very

the low level of teaching in this school and lodged a protest with the school authorities. They were asked to leave this school, which they did in order to enroll in our Tokyo Bible Seminary which was in operation at that time. After his graduation
he married another student of our school

brethren, and their interest in and concern for the work in Japan, as well as the fellowship we have enjoyed with many friends old and new, the hospitality of wonderful homes, the encouragement re ceived, and the safety during many miles
of travel. ILLINOIS

Bridgeport, First Christian Church

INDIANA

surprised to learn that the greater part of

the inhabitants of the island were believers

in Christ. This fact and his experience with the little boy caused him to think

again, this time seriously, about God and

His Son, Jesus Christ. When he was finally repatriated one of the first things he did was to buy a Bible and to study it seriously.

and they moved to Okayama Prefecture, Mrs. Nakamura*s childhood home, to do rural evangelism. After spending several years in this work they decided to return to Tokyo. He now has a position as the overseer of a dormitory in western Tokyo owned and managed by a manufacturing company to house the young girls employed in their factory. He is able to have his Sundays free and on that day he is now

Columbus, Garden Cify Church of Christ Ladoga, Christian Church Lexington, Scott County Men's Meeting

Markle, Church of Christ Faith-Promise Rally

Metamore, Church of Christ
KANSAS

Dodge City, First Christian Church Dodge City, Central Christian Church
KENTUCKY

helping me with the work of the Sakurayama

and Arakawa churches.

Alexandria, Church of Christ Owensboro, Christian Church

OHIO

Again he began to attend the church in

Yokohama and it was not very long until he
confessed his faith in Christ and identified himself with that local church. Soon he

A Japanese person often has to experi

ence hard struggles in order to be a servant of God. Mr. Nakamura's example is no exception to this.
Andrew Patton

Barberton, Church of Christ Canton, Moreland Christian Church Canton, Greenwood Christian Church

and some of his young Christian friends

began to teach some children in the Isogo

NEW BITS

(continued from page 3)

Both the food, the hospitality, and the fellowship were the best.
Mrs. Exie Fultz underwent surgery at the Tachikawa Air Base Hospital in the early part of January. She is home now and recuperating nicely.
Andrew Patton STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

A TOKYO CHRISTIAN

Cincinnati, Montgomery Road Church of Cincinnati, Anderson Ferry Church of Lois has also spoken at a number of the groups here in Cincinnati: Forest Chase Ave.. Madeira, Montgomery New Burlington, Price Hill Colutnbus, Martin Road Church

Christ Christ ladles Dale, Road,

(continued from page 2)

and a loss of confidence that he could live the Christian life. This worried us a

Columbus, Southwood Church of Christ Columbus, Westhili Church of Christ

letters to me telling of bis spiritual doubts Howenstine, Christian Church

Wilmington, New Antioch Church of Christ

VIRGINIA

lot. But he responded to our visits and Charlottesville, First Christian Church God answered our prayers for him and

hdped him to come through eventually a WEST VIRGINIA stronger Christian. Chester, First Christian Church He was just beginning to become active
in church attendance again when Mrs.
Lutton came over to visit us last year,

Tokyo Christian is a quartely publica tion of the Church of Christ Cunningham Mission, Andrew Patton, 27 Sakurayama Machi, Nakano ku, Tokyo, Japan, Editor. Church of Christ Cunningham Mission is a mission set up for the propagating of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Japan, and receives its support from gifts and offerings from congregation and individuals affiliated
with the Churches of Christ and Christian

and he enjoyed talking with her and appre ciated the advice and encouragement she

gave him. He was also able to get a better job at the British Embassy in Tokyo that has more regular hours and gives him more
leisure time for church work. Just before we left Japan I was privileged to visit the family in their new home to deliver

my AM-FM tuner and speakers which he had bought from me. His mother expressed
deep appreciation for what the church had done for him in helping him find himself and become an upright young man.
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED

Churches. Each missionary affiliated with this Mission receives his support directly or through his forwarding agent as listed

Since coming to the U.S. we have had several good letters from him. This picture
was enclosed in one of his recent letters.
Harold Sims

Ifi every Issue of this paper. All subscrip

tions or donations for the Tokyo Christian should be sent to G. Wade Fletcher, 612 E. St., Rushville, Indiana 46173, who receives
no remuneration for his services.
BOX 388, JOLIET, ILLINOIS 60434

Ownership and management of Tokyo Christian belongs to the Church of Christ Cunningham Mission. Stateside editorial, publishing, and mailing duties have been delegated to Mission Services Association, Box 368, Joliet, Illinois 60434, Miss Carolyn Mize, Managing Editor. Subscrip tion rate is 50^ for two years applied from yearly subscriptions.

TK
MRk <

FEBo
JAMES

65
TAYLOR

RAMSEY,
ILLINOIS

6208a

Christian
"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" ^ark 16:15
Volume 66

April 1967

Number 2

weeks ago, a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Uegaki, put in their appearance at our regular Bible study and prayer meeting at the Sakurayama Church. None of us had
ever met them before and of course we wondered what had led them to the church.

ON AWEDNESDAY evening several

Two Baptisms At Sakurayama

The Uegakis are very devoted to each other and are desirous of doing things to gether. She did not have the interest in Christ he did but he patiently taught and influenced her. He had wanted to be bap tized foe some time but was waiting for her to be baptized with him. On the last night of the recent evan

seriously about the Christian Faith. As is

the case of many of the Japanese, he is intellectually turned and is highly critical toward religious things. So if he continues his search into the things of God perhaps

it will only be after a fairly long struggle

that he finally makes a decision to follow Christ. So in various ways the Uegakis are letting their light shine before men. We pray that they will continue to do this. If so, men will be enlightened and saved and

We found that they had been searching for a church to attend, which is a rather un

usual situation in Japan, and they had seen our church signs in passing along the
street.

gelistic meeting held at the Sakurayama

Church Mrs. Uegaki made her confession

of faith in Christ and on the following Sat

urday afternoon she and her husband were

God's name will be glorified.

The Uegakis, who are older and more

In our conversations with this couple

we discovered that he is a taxi driver and

baptized. Now they are both rejoicing in

the hope of the Gospel of Christ.
Whole families who are united in their

has been intensely interested in the Chris tian religion for the past ten years. He has
read and studied the Bible well and has an

extensive knowledge of its contents, having committed many of its rich passages to memory. He has a better knowledge of the Bible than many people who have been church members in Japan for years.

faith in Christ are indeed rare in Japan. Now being united in their profession of faith in Christ, they are working zealously to win others to the Lord. Soon after they were baptized, Mr. Uegaki brought a friend
to church and after the service was ear

settled than most Christians here, will make fine leaders for the Sakurayama Church. They already have a Christian home which is stable and he has a job that enables them to live fairly comfortably,
though he finds the evil that he comes in

contact with because of his work very dis tasteful. His wide knowledge of the Bible
and their zeal for God will make them a

nestly pleading with him to accept Christ. Though the friend is not a Christian, he is
sick of the evil world and is hopeful of bringing about a change in his own life. Because of Mr. Uegaki, he is thinking

blessing to everyone around them. They have already been a great blessing to us and we thank the Lord for this victory in
Christ.

EVANGELISTIC MEETING
The last week of March the church at

Andrew Patten

Kamiochiai held a five-day evangelistic

meeting. Mr. Nomura, who teaches English at the Y.M.C.A. for a living, was the evan

BUTTRAYS' FURLOUGH PLANS

For the Stanley Buttray family, June 9 is the date set to leave Japan and return to the U.S.A. and home. After investigation they discovered there is a way by ship, train, and plane to return to the States by in mind their needs as you plan these next
few months.

gelist. He did a fine job of preaching each night and by Sunday evening (the last
night) there had been ten persons that had made decisions to believe in Jesus Christ. The meeting was not as well attended as previous meetings, and the number of new persons attending was fewer. But we do thank God for these decisions, and trust

After June 1 and until a permanent address is attained, please address all correspondence in care of their forwarding
agent, Mrs. Homer Anderson, 622 Cullum St., Meadville, Pa. 16335.

way of Europe. The travel price is approx imately the same as the Pacific route,
which makes it necessary to cross the States to their home in Pennsylvania. Since this will be a new route, taking them through different counuies and people, they plan to spend a little time visiting

that prayer, follow-up, and further teaching

will finally result in these lives being bora

again.

Stanley Buttray

missionariesandseeing a few of the sights

along the way. They also wish to visit the grave of Mr. Buttray's br.other, who due to the Second World War is buried in Luxem bourg.

According to tenative plans, they are scheduled to arrive in New York on July
14. At first, they will be visiting their families, friends, and home church until about the 25th. They will then go to Eau Gallie, Fla., to visit their son, Paul, and his family, and also the First Christian

Church there which is one of their livinglink churches.

From the end of August they will be available to visit all other livinglink churches, and any other churches that
desire them to come.

David, Mabel, and Stanley Buttray will return to the Stales in July for their third furlough.

Stanley, Mabel, and David Buttray with Mr. Sato, pastor of the Kamiochiai Church. The sign on the porch is a converted Christmas scene. The cross on the left, star in

To all who have thus far contributed to

their return travel fund, they are extremely grateful. Thank you. However, at the end of April they still lacked two-thirds of the
seventeen hundred dollars needed for their

the center, manger scene on the right, with

John 3:16.

fare home. Please pray for them, and keep

Vol. 66

Tokyo Christian April 1967

No. 2

CHURCHES ESTABLISHED
BY OUR MISSION
Perhaps many of the readers of Tokyo
Christian are not aware that 13 churches

Published four times a year in

January, April, July and November for
the missionaries of the Church of

Christ Cunningham Mission, Tokyo, Japan by Mission Services, 509 W.

Jefferson, Jollet, Illinois. Second class postage paid at Joliet, Illinois.

condition of the churches. The incorporated

churches maintain their own properties.

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Buttray, 2-26-4 Kamlochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Forwarding Agent: Mrs. Homer Anderson

have been established by our Mission since World War II. They are familiar with the
affairs of certain of these churches be

Ten of the 13 churches are served by

Japanese ministers and the missionaries

622 Cullum Street, Meadville, Pa. 16335. Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Patton, 3-7-8 Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Forwarding Agent: Mr. and Mrs. G. Wade Fletcher, 621 E. 10th St.,
Rushviile, Ind. 46173 Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sims (Furlough Address), 2801 Warsaw Ave., Cincin

cause in reporting on our work, we three missionary families affiliated with the Mission naturally report on the activities
of those churches whose circumstances

lead in the work of the others Sakurayama, Arakawa, and Yokosuka. The salary of only one of the ten ministers is b^ing sub
sidized from missionary funds. Before the War, churches existed on the properties of eight of our churches that exist today, but all of them had to be re established after the war. Since the war, properties have been procured and churches built at five new sites, bringing the total
to 13 churches.

require more of our situation than the others.

None of our churches have a large mem

bership or attendance. But this is true of

almost all churches in Japan, no matter what

group they may be affiliated with. The

nati, Ohio 45204. Forwarding Agent:

First Churchof Christ, Orange at Center
St., Eustis, Fla. 32726. Two-year subscription

$ .50

Korean church at Mikawashima perhaps has the largest membership and attendance of any of the 13 churches. Their average
attendance would be about 70 or 80 at the

Eleven of these 13 churches have been

started by the direct efforts of our mission

aries with the help of some Japanese breth ren. The other two churches were helped financially and otherwise by the mission aries from the very beginning of their work.
Most of these 13 churches have seen

Subscription and Flaming Torch

SI.00

morning worship service. That of the larg

est of the rest of our churches perhaps

would not exceed 30 or 40. The attendance

New Preacher
At Yokosuka
The Church at Yokosuka has had a

at the Sunday schools is generally much higher than that at the Sunday morning worship service.
The names of our churches in existence

some turbulent times and have had great struggles to maintain their existence since the war. But now we can see a brighter
future for most of them. The church work at Arakawa and that at Yokosuka were

very checkered history since I turned it

over to its first native preacher 14 years

ago. Four preachers, 14 years, no members,
and the church closed for seven months

at the present time are Abiko, Arakawa, Kamiochiai, Kamiuma, Mikawashima, Minato, Nakano, Nishi-Ogikubo, Sakurayama, Setagaya, Wakaba, Yocho-Machi, and Yoko
suka. Seven of these churches are incor

allowed to die out once, but both have

has been one of my burdens . . . and the

Lords!

been restarted since the first of this year. There is more activity and progress mani
fested in most of these churches now and, except for a very small number of them, a greater degree of fellowship and cooper
ation is evident in all. The Lord is at work

After much prayer, and with much trep

idation, anopportunity was given to another young preacher. After much cleaning and some painting, the young preacher and I reopened the Church the last Sunday in
February. The results thus far are not spectacular, but have been quite pleasing. Thus far the average attendance for Sunday school has been 25, and for the worship service four persons. Many days have been spent going from house to house passing out handbills and tracts, and giving per
sonal invitations to all we met.

porated with the Japanese government, holding their own property as tax-free cor porations. Our Mission is required to pay taxes on the remainder of them, except one, and on the homes for the missionaries. The initial expense for the buildings (all 13 churches have buildings) and lands has been borne mostly by the Mission and some of the properties are still being maintained at Mission expense due to the financial

among his people here. We pray that these 13 churches willallow God to do far greater things through them. The salvation of the

millions of lost people in this vast city of Tokyo demands it.

Andrew Patton

Since there is a high school just 200 yards from the church, and because of the
increased interest in science we held a

Moody Science film evangelistic meeting

for five days. These began the 10th of April and ended the 14th with the "Cross
and Resurrection." The weather and the

teachers teamed up against LORD, but we stood firm, still Lord for great things. The exams over, the weather a

us and the trusting the last day little more

favorable 51 students saw the crucifixion

and Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

What a climax! And what a thrill! At

least 20 desired and received personal counseling after the film and message. Two made decisions to be baptized. At this writing one has been baptized. Please pray for the other one. His name is Nakamura San, a freshman in high school. Three of his friends are also attending services. Pray for them.
Pray for this new beginning at Yoko suka and for this young preacher, that the evangelistic command of Jesus: "Go make disciples," will be the controlling influ
ence in his life.

Stanley Buttray

Sunday school children at the Kamiochiai Church. The teachers in the back from left to right are Totsuka San, Sato San (pastor), Tagawa San, Sagakibara San, Takaishi San, Higo San, and visitor Miss Mary tlarding.

Stephen lijima to Visit the U.S. This Fal

Long-time readers of the Tokyo Chris
tian
often

will

be

familiar

with

the

name of

If present plans work out, he will be leaving Japan about the middle of August.
First he will visit Mr. and Mrs. Still and their work in Hawaii as well as other

Stephen lijima, who has been mentioned

in our articles. He has wanted for

some time to visit our country to meet

personally some friends in various places that he has known only by letter heretofore, and to see some of the churches and "get
the feel" of our brotherhood and nation.

friends there. He used to interpret for Col. Nicholas's Bible Class in the Setagaya

Church in Tokyo, and now the retired colo

nel is the faithful minister of the church at Wahiawa in central Qahu. He will arrive

Now it seems that things are working out forhimto have this opportunity. I am grate ful to have a part in this project, and ask that you all join with Stephen and me in prayer that God may guide us in the right
use of the time and that the total result of

in Seattle, Wash., about the first of Sep tember, and will visit some West Coast
churches for most of that month. He is on

the program of the National Missionary Con vention, which meets ia Dodge City, Kaas., the last week of September. After that he

the trip may be for the glory of God and the building up of His church both here and in
Japan.

will speak at various ch"rches and Bible

colleges in the Midwest and eastern part of the U. S. Shortly before Christmas he will leave from New York, returning to Japan with brief stopovers in Europe and the Holy
Land.

Stephen was led to Christ many years ago through a Bible Class conducted by Owen Still. He was born in China, where his father (now a lawyer in Hokkaido) was in government service. At 18 years of age, on May 17, 1940, he was baptized into
Christ and took the Christian name of

The
follows:

financial
The First

arrangements
Church of

are

as

Christ in

Eustis, Fla. (my sponsoring congregation) is advancing the airplane fare out of the

Stephen. He studied at both Keio and Meiji Gakuin Universities in Tokyo, but his education was interrupted by a period of service in the Japanese Army in China during the Pacific War. While serving as an interpreter with the American occupation armed forces immed iately after the end of World War II, he met a chaplain whohelped him renew his friend ship with the Stills. He soon quit his job to enroll in the Seminary and prepare for the ministry of Christ. He was the first student and also the first graduate of Tokyo Bible Seminary. He was married in 1949, and they have one son who is now 14 or 15 years of age.

Sims Tokyo Mission Fund which they ad minister. Mr. lijima will be paid S200.00 per month for personal living expenses,
and all of his travel expenses while in the
United States from this same source. All

Stephen lijima
MEETINGS AT SAKURAYAMA

offerings received by Mr. lijima will be

returned to this fund. If there is any sur plus remaining after the return fare to Japan is paid, this entire amount will be given to Stephen for publishing some books and other of his writings in the Japanese lan guage. If there is any loss, I will absorb
that.

AND ARAKAWA On April 2-9 special evangelistic meetings were held at the Sakurayama and Arakawa Churches, four days being devoted to each place. Brother Sato, minister of the Kamiochiai Church, served as evan gelist for both meetings. Unfortunately, the attendance at both meetings was disappointing. However, on two nights at Sakurayama and one at Arakawa the meetings were fairly well attended. During the meeting at Arakawa the local election campaign got into full swing and this served to draw the people away to the political meetings. This was the first time an evangelistic campaign of
this kind had been conducted at the Arakawa Church since that work was restarted in

I believe visits of this type can be of great benefit to our Japanese ministers, and through them to the work of Christ in that country. He will get to know and feel a closer identity with our brotherhood and

His family will remain in Japan while he

comes to the U.S. and the members of the

its position as well as the encouragement

of a wider fellowship. Also I feel it will be a blessing In many ways to our Chris tians all over America to get to know this man. He has a message that will edify us. This is a true and patriotic Japanese citi zen, a mature and perspective individual, and a dedicated Christian whose loyalty has been tested and proved. His English ability is very good, and his knowledge of the Bible and Christ is deep. I hope you will take any opportunity to hear him. You

Minato Church of Christ, in cooperation

with some of the other ministers and mis

sionaries in the Tokyo area will keep up

the work of that congregation during his
absence. He has been the minister of the Minato

January of this year. So in the future we

will know the neighborhood better and we hope to have a more successful meeting next time. We are planning to have another such meeting within a short time. In spite of the poor showing in atten dance at these meetings, we rejoice in the

Church for the past 19 years, beginning as a student helper just several months after the work was begun by the Still family. For

a number of years he has also edited and published a monthly Bible study magazine
called "BOKKA* which means "Pastoral

can talk to him frankly and freely, and I hope you will. I wholeheartedly commend him to you as a representative Japanese
Christian. Harold Sims

good results achieved at both places. Those

who did attend were set to thinking more seriously about God and spiritual things. At Sakurayama one man and his wife were baptized as a result of the meetings. And at Arakawa a high school student decided to follow Christ. The latter, however, has been urged by her parents not to be bap tized at the present time because of her youth and their belief that she does not know enough about Christianity yet to be
able to make that decision. Her mother is

Song.* This is widely read and appreciated by out Christians all over Japan.

tr

a Buddhist priest's daughter and of course that has a great deal to do with their atti tude toward Christ. The daughter and her
sisters have attended the services at

Missionaries of the Tokyo area with the Bill Miller family standing on the right
enjoyed a one-day outing at a German mission camp.

Arakawa since January and we are con vinced that she does know what she is doing. She has agreed with the decision of her parents, however, and so her baptism has been postponed. She will continue to come to church and perhaps she too will be bap tized before long. The Word of the Lord is running and it will be glorified.
Andrew Patton

Sims Visits Among the Churches

Our furlough continues to be very full of interesting and stimulating activities,
and we are most thankful to God for this

NEWS NOTES
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Chase, ministers

March 12 Lois and I spoke In Malvern,

Ohio, in the morning and at the Warwood church In Wheeling, W. Va., that night. The next day we took a brief tour of Beth

time in the homeland and opportunity to make and renew friendships, as well as for
our continuing good health and the safety with which God has guarded us over many long miles. The people's interest in Japan and our work is encouraging, their generosity

any and then went on to the big East Palestine, Ohio, rally that night. Lois's
sister from Pittsburg was there, and came

of the Downey Church of C-hrist, Calif., were in Tokyo in the early part of April. They visited the Pattons and the Sakurayama Church on April 5. They were enroute to Korea and the Philippines to visit mission work supported by the Downey Church. On April 29 the birthday of the Emperor
of Japan was celebrated. Since the schools

home

to visit with us for several days.

in giving is challenging and the hospitality

is a constant joy.
JANUARY

March 19 I spoke at the Missionary Rally at the Christian Church in Flora, 111. Then on Resurrection Sunday the whole family

had the joy of fellowship with the church

in Markle, Ind. APRIL On the first day of the month I flew out to Manhattan Bible College, and spent the next 10 days getting acquainted with the churches and people of Kansas. This was mostly in connection with Missions Empha sis Week at the college there, but also I

are closed on that day, a youth meeting

was held at the town hall in the town

On the 8th the whole family visited the Turkey Foot and Sadieville churches down in Kentucky. The 15th Harold drove over to Heyworth, 111., for a Sunday with the
church there. On the 22nd we were here In

town (Cincinnati) for a change, speaking at Northern Hills church in the morning and at President Drive in the evening. Then the week-end of Jan. 27-29 we were in Lincoln, III., participating in the Mission ary Rally of the great church there, visiting

spoke on behalf of the National Missionary Convention to be held in Dodge City next
Sept. 26-29.

where the Al Hammond family lives and works. The program featured a lecture and a discussion on Christian marriage and the family. This is indeed a very timely subject for young Christians in Japan. The afternoon of this day was devoted to recreation and fellowship.

in the home of the Joe Segglekes who had

visited in our home in Tokyo on the way home from Korea several years ago, and looking out at the beautiful snow and ice storm which had immobilized the upper part

During the week at the Bible College I

went with student teams to the churches in

of that state for several days. In fact we had to follow the snowplow part of the way
to get through to Lincoln. We also toured

Canton, Clay Center, Mankato, LaCrosse and Town and Country in Wichita. Then on Sunday, April 9, I spoke at a preconvention rally in Ashland, Kans., and met with Walter BIrney and others working on local
arrangements. April 13 I spoke at the Mis

Even though we live in the same city, we missionaries of Tokyo and our families seldom find opportunity to withdraw to gether to a quiet place for relaxation and fellowship in the Lord. But such an oppor tunity presented Itself on March 20 when
our children had a vacation from school. A

church camp was rented at reasonable rates for one night at Okutama, about a two-hour

the college buildings there briefly.

FEBRUARY

sionary Rally at Beverly, Ohio. April 16 I

was with the Kenmore Church of Christ in

From Feb. 2-5 Harold was participating

in the Faith-Promise Rally at the Englewood Christian Church in Jacksonville one of the pioneers in this very successful way of missionary giving and promotion. Feb. 12 the whole family was at New Bur lington Church in Cincinnati for the day,
and Feb. 19 we were with the Madeira

Akron, Ohio. April 20, 21 I was on the pro gram of the Minnesota Bible College mis sionary conference, and Sunday the 23rd I

drive from Tokyo, and we all drove there for a few hours of enjoyment together. Five missionary families were present the Buttrays, the Hammonds, the Pratts, the
Warricks, and the Pattons. The Bill Miller

spoke at Austin, Minn. Then on the way back to Cincinnati I spoke Monday evening,
April 24, at the Southside Christian Church

in Springfield, 111. Sunday, April 30, we were with the church at Hamersville, Ohio. Lois has been speaking here and there
at ladies meetings. She has been at New

family who are connected with Air Force in Tokyo and who friends of all the missionaries also were able to accompany
camp.

the U. S. are close in Tokyo us to the

Church of Christ here. Feb. 20 1 spoke to the Whitewater area youth rally in Milan, Ind. Very good attendance on a very cold night. Feb. 25 1 spoke during the FaithPromise Rally at the Taylor Mill Church near Covington, Ky. The next day I spoke in the morning at Garrison, Ky., and in the evening at Carey's Run Church of Christ near Portsmouth. The next morning I made it to Kentucky Christian College through a snow storm in time to speak in my place on the program. Seven years before I had been delayed by snow, and didn't get to speak at the college then.
MARCH We began the month with the Missions Emphasis Week here at C. B. S. Lois and I

Burlington, Fairfield, Sugar Tree Ridge,

Hamilton, Northern Hills, and Western Hills

In the April elections for governor of

here in Cincinnati and vicinity and Markle,

Ind.

Tokyo the leftist candidate supported jointly by the Socialists and Communists

defeated the candidate supported jointly

by the Liberal-democratic and Social-Dem ocratic parties. This spells the end of a 20-year period of power for Conservative

both had parts on the program, and enjoyed the fellowship with a number of mission aries who were visiting the campus during those days, including the veterans Mrs.
Harry Schaeffer and Dr. Zoena Rothermel who are residing at the Mt. Healthy Chris tian Home and oftenattend special functions at the Seminary. On March 5 the whole family drove over to Brownstown, Ind., where we spoke at dual morning services and enjoyed a good day of fellowship with old friends from Atlanta Christian College days. That evening we were in Crothersville, Ind. March 8-10 I was privileged to speak at the Missions Emphasis Week of Ozark Bible College. This school really sets the pace in missionary zeal, giving, recruitment, study and many other ways, and it was an inspiration to visit the cam pus and get to know both students and
teachers better.

Miss Mary Harding a retired school teacher from Oregon is shown here at the Kamiochiai Church. She is teaching a class in Bible school leaching methods.
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED

forces in the Tokyo governorship. We are not sure whether this bodes evil or good for Tokyo and Japan but perhaps evil. If it serves as an restraining influence on any complacency and corruption in the Con servative camp some good may come of it. But the election of a leftist as governor of the largest city in the world is bound to affect the politics of all of Japan of which, of course, Tokyo is the capital. God's answer to this is: Pray for 'all that are in high places that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity."
(I Timothy 2:2).
Andrew Pallon

BOX 368, JOLIET. ILLINOIS 60434

TK MR^

FEB. FES*
JAMES JAM

65
TAYLOR

RAMSEY,
ILLINOIS

62080^

Christian
"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" Mark 16:15
Volume 66

July 1967

Number 3

New Kinds of Missionaries

(Except from a message given by Harold Sims at the Lake James School of Missions on July 29, 1967.) I don't need to elaborate on the very obvious fact that we are facing a different situation in missions now than the pioneers of the modern missionary movement did 150 years ago. Everybody knows the world is rapidly changing, but recently it is so revolutionary that books on missions now have titles such as "Missions in Crisis," "Missions at the Crossroads," etc. It is high time to give long and serious thought to the present problems and future course
of missions.

One of the changes in the world is urbanization. As a representative of the largest city in the world, I would like to speak a word on behalf of the cities. Time

magazine in its issue dated July 28 says

that 70% of the American population lives in 10% of the land area in 224 major cities. The same basic proportion would apply to the rest of the world as well. The big city is the main fact anu principal problem of our time, and it is the neglected

mission field. The most civilized place is

the least Christianized space on our planet. It is fine to go to primitive tribes in the upper Amazon, etc. To learn the lan guage, reduce it to writing, teach the people to read and translate the Scriptures

A section of the unreached city of Tokyo.

feeling of belonging. The glamour mission

into hitherto unknown tongues is indeed

a noble and useful work that gives a per son the satisfaction of accomplishing his
mission in life. I commend those who are
able to overcome their fear of snakes and

fields for us have always been primitive, underdeveloped areas like the Congo or
Tibetan border. The work in these areas is

Ricans and other minority groups in our cities as either Christian, ideal, or worthy
of imitation. How do we communicate the

tigers and to give up most of the amenities

of life and do this work. I would not have

anyone give up support of, or participation in, such ventures. Furthermore, this fits the classical image of a~ mission field that most supporters of missions have in mind. But this type of field is very much on the fringe, if not disappearing in our age. The scene and the action is in the city. This is where the people are, and the rest of them are heading there. The dangerous
and difficult mission field in 1967 is the

fine, and I am not opposing or discouraging this in any way. But this type of mission ary work has a certain ego-satisfying element for us. We feel that we are supe rior, and we are going to these people in darkness with the light. Much of our mis sionary motivation is the very worthy and Christian virtue of compassion for the poor, the ignorant, and the sick. It is a humbling and illusion-shattering experience for us to move into the urban areas, but we must do it. Here the "natives" don'i need hospitals, schools, etc. Well, the need is still there, but the government is working on that way ahead of us and
with billions of dollars to draw from. You

Gospel to these people? For the big cities here and abroad I recommend two new types of missionaries. First, let us send men to these cities who could be described objectively as experts or specialists in the Word of God.
It fits in with our native American

sense of efficiency that we churches send

to the cities men who are able to command

respect and a fair hearing from the multi tudes men who can accomplish the most good and reach the largest number of people for the least investment of time and money. The city slickers have a right
to exoect the churches to select the be.st

jungle of asphalt and steel, filled with wild people and ideas. I am no prophet, but I will guess that 20 years from now the ones who penetrate this forbidding territory and reach the people with the Gospel to such an extent that men will really be converted to Christ and that the church will be established in a meaningful and truly Christian form will be heros like David Livingstone was two or three gen erations ago. Our people are mostly Midwestern,
small-town conservative Americans. That

say, "Yes, but they are still in spiritual darkness lost in sin." Very true. But the city people are proud and sensitive. They do not think of themselves as a mis sion field, and have but a very slight feel ing of spiritual need if any at all. They will reject out of hand anyone who takes a paternalistic or patronizing attitude toward them. They don't want to be told

anything, because they think they know all

the answers. The great American culture

qualified men to do this job and to equip and pay them adequately. This is the age of specialization. People don't get to hear the Bible ex plained in school or at home and not even in many churches any more. But I .still believe this is what the intelligent people really hunger for when they come to church. If the Word of the living God were preached we wouldn't have to worry about attend ance. People will as.semble and pay money
to hear someone (anyone) who knows what he is talking about. We ought to give mote attention to understanding and

and
either

is what I am and where I have the greatest

civilization no longer impresses foreigners or Negroes, Puerto

(Continued on pagi' 4)

Tokyo Christian Vol. 66 April 1967 No. 2 Pub!ihecl four times a year in January, April, July and November for
the missionaries of the Church of

Anakaw/Z' a4i(i
Since our last report a great deal of activity and some changes have occurred at the Sakurayama and Arakawa churches to which the Pattons are ministering.
Bro. Hiroaki Sato, son of Bro. Fumio Sato, minister of the Kamiochiai church, has been called to the ministry of the
Arakawa church. Some of the members of also stuff an advertisement of our church

Christ

Cunningham

Mission,

Tokyo,

Japan by Mission Services, 509 W. Jefferson, Joliet, Illinois. Second class postage paid at Joliet, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Buttray, 2-26-4 Kamiochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan Forwarding Agent: Mrs. Homer Anderson 622Cullum Street, Meadville, Pa. 16335. Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Patton, 3-7-8 Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Forwarding Agent: Mr. and Mrs. G. Wade Fletcher, 621 E. 10th St.,
Rushville, Ind. 46173 Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sims (Furlough

services with the tracts. We have already distributed 5,100 tracts at Sakurayama and 4,000 at Arakawa. We are awaiting 4,000
more to be delivered to the Arakawa

church. That will be over 13,000 homes in all reached with a message and an in
vitation to our services.

Address), 2801 Warsaw Ave., Cincin nati, Ohio 45204. Forwarding Agent:
First Church of Christ, Orange at Center St., Eustis, Fla. 32726. Two-year subscription , $ .50

Subscription and Flaming Torch SI.00

the Sakurayama church continue to help Bro. Sato in the work of the Sunday school. On Sunday afternoons they and Andrew Patton travel to this church and help with the Sunday school and worship service at Arakawa. After the services there they return to the Sakurayama church for the evening service (now a Bible study class). The Sunday school at Arakawa is well attended and several adults and youth are continuing to show interest in the Gospel.

The conversion of Mr. and Mrs. Uegaki

announced in the

last issue of Tokyo

Christian has infused fresh zeal into the

Sakurayama church. We are still without a

minister, but this has been overcome to a

great extent by the fact that some of the members are assuming more responsibility and are zealously working for Christ and
His Church. Besides the tract distribution

Bits of
News
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Elliott, retired teachers from Whittier, California, were our guests from June 29 to July 3- By this

A Daily Vacation Bible School is planned at Arakawa for the last week in August. We expect this to be well attended. A young working girl named Miss
Nakamura was baptized at the Arakawa church on July 25 the first baptism there since the work was begun in January. There are others who are attending the
services at that church who should be

work, we have been able to redecorate the inside of the church building and will re pair and paint the outside as soon as time permits. From the middle of August we plan to change the Sunday evening Bible class to a weekly evangelistic meeting. An advertisement campaign is planned for these meetings, and we are praying that these meetings will result in the salvation of many souls.

making decisions to

. ,

be baptized before

Around

dozen

persons

from the

...

they will spend a few

the children's home while the missionaries

planned ^there d uring 'kere dur.ng Ihe last week-of August, and we are hoping that this will
result in the salvation of others there.

Sakurayama church plan to attend the ramp at Lake Motosu. Some of these are yet unsaved and we hope to win at least
some of them to Christ during the camp. Recently another lady was baptized at the Sakurayama church. She has to take a long train ride every time she comes to church, but she attends the service every

are on furlough. Bro. Elliott is the brother of Prof. George Mark Elliott of Cincinnati Bible Seminary.

tract

distribution

program

is

in

progress at the Sakurayama and Arakawa

churches in relation to the Billy Graham International Crusade to be held in Tokyo
in October. The tracts are furnished free

The Ernest Faber family, missionaries to Hokkaido, Japan, spent one night with us in Tokyo enroute to the United States for furlough. During their furlough they will b.e living in Danville, 111.

Sunday. Solomon tells us that "He that

winneth souls is wise." We are praying
for both wisdom and souls. Andrew Patton

by the Every Home Crusade. We stamp the

church name and address on the tracts,

stuff them in folders, and distribute. We

The C. W. Calloway family on their way to the United States from a term of missionary service in Thailand spent a few days with the Hammonds in Tokyo in early July. On July 4 they and the Tokyo
missionaries met at the Pratts home at

and has done most of the construction work

We have just completed the building of a parsonage for the Satos, ministers of
the Kamiochiai church. It was built above

Isehara to celebrate. Food, fellowship, and fireworks were plentiful on that

occasion. Next to our salvation in Christ,

the church building there, and the Satos now have a very adequate place in which
to live.

himself. The building is well constructed and -attractive and should be adequate for many years. They expect to register as a religious corporation when they have com plied with the required procedures.

we missionaries, in spite of the fact that

we live in a place remote from our beloved country, prize our political freedom and the blessings that are ours as American citizens. May God bless our native land!
t

Registration time for our children at

school is drawing near again. We are not
been called to

Bro.

Morohashi

has

looking forward to that event at all, for we

hear that the tuition will be raised again

minister to the Yokosuka church, the work

We

Pattons

feel

bit

lonesome

in

Tokyo now. The Simses have been in the States for a year. Then, as you know, the Buttrays left for furlough on June 9- The Buttrays passed through Russia and
Europe on their way home. They are now

which was revived by the Buttrays earlier this year. Bro. Morohashi and his wife seem to be meeting with success in their efforts to lead the church. They were married just before the Buttrays left for furlough and have moved to the parsonage attached to the church building.

this year. It is already higher than we can afford, but there is no way to escape from the bill-collecting school authorities if we are to keep our children in school. Our
children must be educated, but still it is

back in Pennsylvania preparing for a year of deputation work. Their home in Tokyo
has been redecorated and rented to another

The church at Kamiuma now has their

not a very pleasant thing to pay the amount of money we do in order to educate them! It is simply one of the burdens to be borne while engaging in mission work. The Lord has provided thus far and we believe He
will continue to do so.
Andrew Patton

missionary family for a year.

new church building almost completed. Mr. Sahara, their minister, is a carpenter

SIMS SUMMER TRAVELS

We travel a lot in the summertime,

because long-distance trips, especially for the whole family, are practically im possible during the school year, and we
want the children to see as much of our

missionary for their Vacation Bible School. Every morning that same week Lois and Hope talked to the various departments of the large V.B.S. at First Christian Church
in Columbus, Ind., about missionary work

Eynons. Jonnie, Bobby, and I went up to Lansing, Mich., and visited the University
Church of Christ and the South Lansing Church of Christ on July 30. Monday morning we bought some

country and as many of our friends as opportunity affords. Although the length of our trips this year was nothing to com pare with the one from Japan last year, we are thankful again to God for His care over us during the journey and for the privilege of seeing so many friends again. The only regret we have is that we were unable to participate in any of the young
people's camps because of the other
commitments.

in Japan. Then on Sunday, June 18, Harold

and the three boys visited the New Hope and Jones ville Christian Churches in
Indiana.

supplies and headed into the woods for

the annual Northmen's meeting in the

3. SOUTH

On June 20 (Bobby's birthday cele brated last year by arrival in San Francis
co) we left for the South. After visiting

northern part of the state. It was really an interesting experience for our boys to go camping. Their daddy is not exactly the regular outdoorsman type, but with tent, camp stove, sleeping bags, and other
conveniences borrowed from Prof. Art

three days with Grandma and Grandpa Sims and speaking at the Woodlawn church in
Knoxville,
Park and

we went to Atlanta, Ga., for

North Druid Hills Churches

1. CHICAGO AREA

Sunday, June 25. We spoke at Jefferson

there, and also visited the campus ot Atlanta Christian College and the Chris tian City project. From June 28 until July 2 we spent
most of our time at the North American

Katt in Cincinnati, we made out fine. Hearing those 1,000 men sing was worth much more than all the expense and trouble of getting there.
5. NEW YORK

Just after the commencement exercises at the Cincinnati Bible Seminary on May 26, Lois and I left for a speaking trip. Lois's mother, Mrs. Ethel Lutton from St. Peters burg, Fla., who had come up to visit us in mid-May, took care of the children, who
had not finished their school term yet.

The boys and I returned home and

took baths on August 4. The next day I left for New York City. At this writing I

am busily engaged in various types of evangelistic work connected with the

"Go Ye" Chapel Mission. There are ten

We spoke at Highland Christian Church and

Southside Christian Church in Hammond,

Ind., on Sunday, May 28. The next day we

made our first visit to Mission Services

in Joliet, 111., and watched and talked about the Tokyo Christian printing and mailing operation and other things. On Memorial Day we saw some of the city of Chicago,- enjoying the company and guidance of Calvin Phillips and some of
his family.

Christian Convention in Tampa, Fla. The whole family enjoyed the singing and and preaching in the evening sessions, and the separate sessions during the day. We were delighted to visit briefly with many friends we had not seen for years
before and after the sessions.

girls from five different Bible colleges helping in the work here this month. We call this Missionary Internship practical experience in a situation that is different from ordinary church work and in every
sense a mission field. We feel it will con

From the Phillips' home in Hammond,

we went to Buchanan, Mich. There I spoke

to the church on Wednesday evening and Lois spoke to the combined Ladies Circles on Thursday evening. We stayed with the
Bob Mahans. Mrs. Mahan was one of the

girls in the big Warsaw dormitory at C.B.S. for which Lois and I were dorm parents during our furlough in 1953'54, and it was a happy renewal of friendship. On Friday Lois returned to Cincinnati, and Harold went up to Battle Creek, Mich.,
to speak at the Central Christian Church

{James E. Myers, Min.) on Sunday, June 4. He also visited the campus of Great Lakes Bible College. June 69 Harold attended the first part of a Missionary Leadership Seminar at Wheaton College. This was a special
course for teachers of missions in Bible

Wednesday, July 5, Hope and Sylvia and I spent the day in Eustis, Fla., taking care of some business and visiting some of the folks in the church there. Thursday, July 6, Lois and I spoke to the ladies of the Central Church in Tampa. July 9 we spoke both morning and evening in Calvary Christian Church in Baton Rouge, La. Mr. and Mrs. Ross Chaney had been in Tokyo three years ago in connection with the Humble Oil Company and a Japanese firm building a new plant. It was good to visit with them again and see that part of the country about which they had boasted so much when they were in Japan. July 1215 we had a Sims family reunion in cottages on Lake Wautauga in eastern Tennessee. July 16 we visited
the churches at Claxton and Morristown, Tenn., and the next day we returned to
Cincinnati.

tribute to their preparation for service to Christ as well as to the extension of

Christ's church in this area. I am enjoying

the actual work of evangelism after some

months of mostly talking about it, and

hopeful that I will learn some lessons and get some ideas that will be of value to us
in our work in Tokyo.
Harold Sims

Summer Camps
We have been privileged this summer to attend two camps, and ouf annual camp
at Lake Motosu will be held in August.

The first camp was held at Okutama which is only about a two-hour drive from Tokyo. This was primarily a youth camp and the program was planned with the Japanese

youth in mind. However, the missionaries

and their families, visitors from other countries, and others attended the camp. Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Calloway, mission aries to Thailand who were passing through

4. NORTH

We had time only to sort and read some

colleges. The class was made up of 14 people from various denominations who had missionary experience in about ten different foreign countries, but are pres ently teaching potential missionaries in the U.S. It proved to be a very stimulating session. Friday evening, June 9, he spoke to the quarterly meeting of "The Master's Men" in Vandalia, Mich. They served barbecued chickens to a large group of men in the church yard, and we had a wonderful fellowship there.
2. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

of the mail and do the laundry before pack ing and leaving early on July 22 for the
North. We took Hope to Camp Wakatomika
in central Ohio where she served as the

Tokyo

on their way home for furlough,

missionary for the junior young people's camp. Then we went across to Joliet, 111. Sunday, July 23, we spoke at the First Christian Church and Maple Lawn Christian Church in that city and enjoyed the hos pitality of Mission Services. Monday we went to the Lake James
School Qif . Missions. This was our third
visit there since I attended first as a re

were the guest speakers for the camp. Attendance at the camp was fairly good, but the number of Japanese youth who
attended was rather small. The camp was

held

from Friday,
who

June 30, to Sunday,

enroute to India

July 2. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Elliott of

California were

Sunday, June 11, the.^family spent the day with the church in Bright, Ind. The children enjoyed croquet in Roger Cormican's shady yard all afternoon. Every
evening that week Harold served as the

cruit in 1946. It was good to see how it has grown. We were happy to share in the

to help in the children's home at Kulpahar for a few months were also guests during the camp. The sessions were bi lingual in order to benefit all of the campers. Food for the body and soul was liberally served and all returned home
refreshed and instructed.

many blessings of that good week of in

struction and fellowship.

The
held

second camp we attended was

(Continued on page 4}

Lois, Sylvia, and Danny returned to Cincinnati on July 29 with the Dan

at Karuizawa about 100 miles north

NEW KINDS OF MISSIONARIES (continued from page 1)

preaching the true Gospel message in a
manner and depth that will cause the thoughtful man of our world to listen. This

feature about the Gospel. Christ made a

fisher of men and a rock and a shepherd

out of Peter. He can make us over and

he

rationalized it this way. They will

more value on it and attend more

place

can be done. I believe men are looking for

it.

use any of us for His glory when we are

wholly committed to Him and teachable. Most of what 1 have said here would dis

regularly if they have to pay for it. They pay to study French, flower arrangement
and everything else. Don't we think the Bible is worth paying for? This set me to

I know of one case where one of our

Japanese preachers who is an exceptional Bible scholar and teacher was asked by the president of a small company in the church's neighborhood that manufactured speakers and amplifiers to come to the

qualify me as a missionary to Tokyo first of all. But I intend to return next year, trusting the Lord to guide, use and empower
me, and hoping that I may continue to humbly recognize my inadequacies and studying to present myself approved unto
God
truth.

thinking.

Is

my mid-week

Bible study

worth enough that I could in good con science charge people tuition to hear it?
It ought to be.

factory and give lectures to all the em

ployees about the Bible. The executive

What kind of impression are we making on the world anyway. Unhappily I have
known of not a few cases in which some person went to church once and was re

a workman that doesn't need to be

said, "They need to know more about this

classic of literature and the basic book

ashamed handling aright the Word of

Secondly,
our families

of the Western world, and you are the one

to tell them. In order to contribute to the

pelled by the shallowness of the message,

let us
to live

encourage more of
out their Christian

morals and education of my employees I will sponsor these lectures once every week on company time." This preacher was paid $3.00 per hour for taking advan tage of this wonderful opportunity.
People are looking for experts in the Bible. If we attempt to do this, they will treat us as such and give us a hearing. Now please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying that we should over em phasize high-sounding degrees or musty, dusty scholarship itself. We don't neces sarily need more Ph.D's. But we need
men who are not afraid of Ph.D's and can

faith in the cities. They are moving in anyway. What I urge is that while support ing themselves by regular, secular employ ment, they have Bible classes in their
homes for their families and the circle of

the level of the people, the antics of the preacher or something else and never returned again. Evangelism is serious
business. Harold Sims

friends that we all have. They can bear

an effective witness for Christ in the

apartments where they live and the factories, offices, schoolrooms, etc., where they work. This kind of positive and realistic approach is very much needed by Christians these days.

I visualize that during the next 20

years the churches in the cities may go a long way toward restoring the New Testa ment practice of meeting in believer's homes. Land is becoming so high priced that church buildings with parking lots, etc., are practically impossible to con sider in any of our major cities. Perhaps we should welcome this change and adjust to it quickly. Of course there can also be meetings in rented halls, hotel rooms as
well as in local homes. But I dream of the

present the Gospel in a way that will not repel them. We need men who know God
and man and God and man's world and are

able to bring them into spiritual perspec

tive and relation with discernment and

SUMMER CAMPS (Continued from page 3) of Tokyo from Tuesday, July 18, through
Thursday, July 20. This camp was for the

love. We need men like Paul, who could

missionaries and their families. Everyone

had a wonderful rest for a few davs in the

jdispute with the most intellectual Athenians and quote the Cretan poets, but who deliberately chose to know nothing save Christ and Him crucified so that men might
not base their faith on his considerable

cool

mountain

atmosphere,

but

it was

difficult to return to the almost unbearable

heat of Tokyo. Fellowship with our coworkers in Christ and mutual edification from the Word of the Lord made the week

knowledge or ability, but on the power of God and His Spirit in man. We need men
who will heed Paul's admonition in

II Tim. 2:15 in the fullest sense, and be

workers and students of the Word who are
unashamed.

day when Tokyo will have at least 100 different groups meeting in homes all over the city where the Bible is taught and discussed, quiet and sincere prayers go up, family type fellowship is enjoyed, and
the Lord's table is shared.

one of great significance to all of us. The Bill Miller family, stationed at Tachikawa Air Base, also accompanied the mission aries with a few American goodies for the
table.

We have seen several men with higher scholastic degrees whose influence in Japan was considerable. Lewis Foster's brief visit to Japan for a few weeks in

One

of our Japanese preachers has

1963 did the work a lot of good, in my

opinion. But let's face it most of us missionaries are just not what I am des cribing as specialists in the Word of God,
able to hold their own and defend their

long advocated this meeting in homes for various reasons. He says he feels that modern people tend to distrust a missionary as a professional salesman of religion who is just paid to talk, but they are deeply moved by the quiet witness of an ordinary Christian who firmly but unob trusively stands for his faith and the
Christian outlook or morals and all of

of

During the first week in August some our Sunday school students at the
church attended a children's

Arakawa

camp at Karuizawa conducted by our fellow missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Warrick. This proved to be an unforgettable experience for the-se youth.
From August 714 our annual camp at

ground in the midst of modern scholars. They don't write and often don't even read the great books.

On one occasion one of our Japanese brethren was criticizing a missionary colleague of mine for a lack of study and a shallow level of teaching that was dis couraging the college-age young people. He looked me in the eye and asked, "Mr.
Sims, isn't the church of Christ a small

life. One day he told me that he was think ing of a new departure. He would rent a hall and charge people money for coming to his Bible studies. The thought of charg ing people money to hear the Word was quite shocking to me, but after I recovered
RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED

Lake Motosu was held. The first part of the week was devoted to junior high and high school students, and the last part will serve the college-age group and the general public. A report of this camp will
be given later.
Andrew Patton

BOX aea, j o l i e t . I l l i n o i s 60434

and countrified denomination?" In trying to protect the missionary I said he had a problem learning and speaking the Japanese language. His retort was, "If he had some thing really worthwhile to say to us, we would be willing to learn English just in
order to listen to him." It is time to ask

TK
MRfift

fZ@m
JAMES

65
TAYLOR

RAMSEY,
ILLINOIS

ourselves

some

62080^

serious questions about the kind of mis sionaries we are sending out. But .1 must add one final word. There is a redeeming

Christian
'Cro ye into all the world cmd preach the gospel to et\'ry creature" S\ark 16:] 5
Volume 66
November 1967
Number 4

ARAKAWA CHURCH NEWS

church and some new faces in the audience

during the services.

About 30 children are now attending the Sunday school and about 15 adults are present at the Sunday afternoon worship
service.
well.

Bro.

Sato

has

started

Bible

study on Saturday evening and it is doing The Arakawa church group is blessed with harmony and fine fellowship. After the services on Sunday afternoon a fellowship meeting is held, during which time the
Christians counsel unbelievers in the Gos

pel of Christ. There is a- joy and enthusi

asm among them all that is wonderful to
behold.

On October 10 the Sakurayama and Arakawa churches went on a picnic to

Hie Arakawa church group. Bro. Hiroaki Sato, minister, at extreme left.
The progress of the work of the Arakav/a church is very encouraging indeed. Bro.
Hiroaki Sato has been the minister of this church for about six months and his zeal in

gether. Both children and adults took ad vantage of the national holiday and en joyed the outing. A bus was chartered for
the convenience of both churches.

the Lord is being attended with success.

meeting. The two churches again coopera ted in distributing 12,000 tracts to homes in the neighborhood of the church. The tracts were sent out gratis to advertize the Billy Graham International Crusade which
was held from October 20 October 29 in

In early November another evangelistic meeting is planned for the Arakawa church. Again the Sakurayama members are ex pected to help. This working together in the Lord's work is rewarding for the mem
bers of both churches and is an excellent

He graduated from Osaka Bible Seminary last March and this is his first ministry. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fumio Sato,
ministers of the Kamiochiai church. A

Tokyo. We stamped the Arakawa church them, people folders 12,000 sulted

example for others to follow. Fairly soon the dependence of the Arakawa church on
her older sister will decrease as she in

second generation preacher in Japan is in deed a very unusual person.

Since the Arakawa church work was re

"ame and address on the tracts, stuffed together with a handbill inviting to the services of the church, in and delivered them in person to the
homes. This tract program has re in several new prospects for the

creases in strength, but we hope that the close fellowship between the two churches
will be even richer than it is now. Andrew Patton

started in January of this year, there are no seasoned members on which to rely for helping in the teaching program of the Sun day School and for leadership. To fill this gap some of the members of the Sakurayama
church help out in the Arakawa work. The Sunday school and worship service are

held

on Sunday afternoon to allow the

helpers from Sakurayama to attend both churches. As a result, a very rich fellow ship and love have developed between the
members of the two churches. The recent activities of the Arakawa

church reflect its progress since it was re started. Beginning on Monday, August 21, this church held a Daily Vacation Bible School. Again some of the members of the Sakurayama church helped in the teaching program. The attendance was fairly good, averaging around 20 children. Immediately following this, a special evangelistic meet ing was held. A Christian movie was held each evening at the beginning of the ser vice. New people were reached, and one young man was saved as a result of this

/ n

Sakurayama and Arakawa joint church picnic held on October 10.

Tokyo Christian
Vol. 66 November 1967 No. 4

The 20th National

Church of

Published four times a year in January, April, July and November for
the missionaries of the

Christ Cunningham Mission, Tokyo, Japan by Mission Services, 509 W. Jefferson, Joliet, Illinois. Second class postage paid at Joliet, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Buttray, 2-26-4 Kamiochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan Forwarding Agent: Mrs. Homer Anderson 622 Cullum Street, MeadviIle, Pa. 16335.

1WENT UP to Ft. Wayne, Indiana,Sept.

28, 1966, to speak at one of the night

Missionary Convention
large number of people attended from the great plains area of our country, where our churches are scattered and comparatively small. Every hotel and motel in town was filled, and more than 500 people were housed in private homes and the 4-H camp in the city. The hospitality of the local people, and the press and TV coverage was nothing but first class. As far as I could see there was a good spirit throughout the convention, and 1 per sonally enjoyed every message. Needless to say, there was no talk of discontinuing
the convention.

sessions of the National Missionary Convention on the subject assigned to me. Because of being in Japan so

Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Patton, 3-7-8

Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Forwarding Agent: Mr. and Mrs.

long, this was only the third time I had been privileged to attend this convention, and I really enjoyed meeting many old and new friends, seeing the displays and hearing the messages. But I was quite surprised
when the continuation committee elected me to serve as chairman for the 20th Con

G. Wade Fletcher, 621 E. 10th St.,

Rushville, Ind. 46173 Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sims (Furlough Address), 2801 Warsaw Ave., Cincin

vention, already scheduled for Dodge City,

Kansas. As I told the folks then, the only thing I knew about that part of the country was gleaned from the few times I had seen Matt Dillon and his friends talking in the Japanese language on the television show.
What I didn't tell them was that I knew much less about how to chair such a meet

nati, Ohio 45204. Forwarding Agent:

First Church of Christ, Orange at Center St., Eustis, Fla. 32726. Two-year subscription $ .50

Subscription and Flaming Torch SI.00

ing as this.
By the time the continuation conunittee met for the planning session in December,

Bits of News
A parsonage for Mr. and Mrs. Fumio Sato, ministers of the Kamiochiai Church, is now finished. Now they have a more

the picture looked very discouraging and

unfavorable: 1. Both ministers of the First

All of this victory, and success is due to two things. First, it is an answer to prayer. It was a great source of encourage ment to me to know that many saints all over the country were joining me in prayer for God's blessing and guidance upon the convention. 1 am sure He heard, and may God have the glory for the great things He has done. Secondly, it is due to the hard

Christian signed; 2. penses of committee

adequate place in which to live. The par

sonage was built during the summer as a second story to the Kamiochiai church building.

On September 15 an "Echo Meeting" was held at the Sakurayama church building for everyone who attended the Motosu Chris tian Service Camp in August. The program was good and there was a good audience to enjoy it. At the beginning of this school year
Sharon Patton transferred from the Green Park Air Force School to the Christian

Church in Dodge City had re After paying for the travel ex the members of the continuation to this meeting, the convention was $800.00 in debt; 3. Many missionaries had told me they would not be attending the convention because of the great dis tance and travel expense; 4. There were knotty problems connected with some mis sionary organizations desiring representa tion; 5. Suggestions had come from several quarters that the convention was not worth
the effort and the cost to the missionaries and should be discontinued.

and dedicated work of Walter Birney in promotion and publicity, and to the many
local Christians who labored long, but willingly, to keep us housed, fed and made other local arrangements, and to Bob Reeves who wrote a mountain of correspondence and made hundreds of phone calls as pro gram chairman. These two things go to gether. God does not bless where there is
not the will and faith to work, and work comes to nothing.wjtKout God's blessing.
These folks felt that their work was for

Christ, and their labor was with joy and

bore much fruit.

All of this forced me and most of the

others concerned to give serious thought to some basic questions about the reasons for the convention's existence; and we pro

It was also a personal pleasure to me to have a good number of my fellow mis sionaries from Japan present as well as my long-time friend, Stephen lijima, the
minister of Minato Church of Christ in

ceeded all along through the year of prep

aration with some doubts and anxieties in

Tokyo.

our minds, yet encouraging one another.

Academy in Japan. The latter is operated

to accommodate the children of mission

aries especially. Sharon school by train each day.

commutes

to

But when we got to Dodge City on Sept. 26 this year, all of this gloom and worry
quickly lifted like a morning fog under the bright Kansas sunshine. I think the consensus agreed that this
convention was the best one thus far. The

The convention is not the main thing the work of evangelism is. And it just happened to be my turn to have the chair man's place this year. But I feel honored that it was this particular year, because I
believe we have reached a milestone in the

missionary movement which produced and

sustains this convention. I believe the word for this 20th convention is MATURITY.

Our missionaries in Tokyo continue to meet every two weeks at one of their homes for prayer and fellowship. The A1 Hammond family were hosts for the last such meet ing. Eleanor served a delicious supper at
that time.

Andrew Patton delivered a short mes

total registration was 4,829 the highest yet. The attendance on Wednesday evening, according to the usher's head count of those seated in the auditorium, was 1,584, also an all-time record. That same night l6l missionaries, recruits, and forwarding agents came across the platform and in
troduced themselves another record. to the audience

In this 20 years of post-war growth and activity we have been blessed by God with an increasing host of missionaries whose training for service is continually improving,
and a broader base of well-informed and

sage in English at the Rikkyo University, a mission sponsored school, on October 17.

Two things were especially worthy of note: 1. The Mission Services Missionary
The Billy Graham International Crusade was held in Tokyo on October 20 29. Preparations for this meeting were in prog ress for months. As expected, vast crowds attended. We participated in order to draw
some of chose who made decisions to our
churches.

consecrated supporters who are providing ever more adequate and consistent financial support. There are steadily growing in digenous churches on all mission fields. Brethren, we are growing up. Let's act like it. I have a deep sense of privilege and responsibility in being a participant in

Prayer List S20, which was just compiled and printed in September and placed on sale at the convention, lists exactly 1000 missionaries 591 serving in 31 foreign
countries and Hawaii and Alaska, and 409

this richly blessed movement. May God's Spirit fill and guide us as we go into the future humbly and confidently.
Many thanks to all those who helped

serving in the continental United States.

This means that the number of missionaries

and

those

who silently and faithfully

prayed, and to God who put it into their

hearts to do so.

(Continued on page 4)

sent out by our people has grown 1000 per cent in the past 20 years. 2. A surprisingly

Harold Sims

SAKURAYAMA CHURCH NEWS

rm

to her husband if she thinks he is using the wrong methods in his work for C'hrist.
Vet she never tries to dominate him. .As her

knowledge of the l^ible and her confidence

increase, she also is seen more and more

giving counsel to people concerning God and his salvation. Mr. -and Mrs. Uegaki have imparted great joy to us and we con stantly thank God for them.
The Sakurayama church held an evan gelistic meeting over a four-night period in early October. Bro. Kizen ("ho, minister of

the Mikawashima Korean church, was the evangelist. His messages %verc excellent., being filled with evangelistic fire. We were quite disappointed with the attendance during the meeting, but several new persons came and heard the Gospel. One person was baptized on Wednesday following the meeting.

Sakurayama church group that remained for fellowship dinner after services.
One of the best things that has ever happened to the Sakurayama Church was the conversion of a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Uegaki, in the early summer of this year.
We believe that God sent them to the church

after the service is over. He strongly re bukes sin in his fellow Christians, and yet
is as kind as a father toward their weak nesses. His zeal knows no bounds in win

just at the right time to start the church on

the road to new life and vitality. We believe

that their coming to us is an answer to prayer. Mr. Uegaki had attended a church a

ning the lost. When a non-Christian person puts in his appearance at the church serv ices, he wastes no time but begins the work of leading that person to Christ immedi ately. His great familiarity with the Bible
makes himan efficient counselor indeed. It

great deal over a period of about ten years. He had read the Bible extensively and had committed many rich passages to memory.
He knew just what it meant to be a dedi

is not long until an unbeliever who is coun selled by him must make a decision for or against Christ.
Bro. Uegaki does the work of both minister and elder in the church, though he
has not been elected to either office. He is

cated Christian. He has patiently led his. wife and the contagion of his zeal has

Our regular Sunday evening Bible class at Sakurayama had been changed to an evangelistic meeting %vith Bro. Sato, min ister of the Arakawa church, serving as evangelist. Since this new type of meeting began, it has resulted in several new people being drawn to the church presenting an opportunity for us to counsel with them personally about their need of Christ in their lives. One person has been saved as a result of the meetings, and we believe that others are on the verge of making decisions. So the church at Sakurayama is being revived and souls are being saved. We are grateful and praise the name of the Lord. May God increase our strength and prosper the work.
Andrew Patton

affected her also. When they started attend ing the services of the Sakurayama church
and then made
The

their
whole

decision
church

to serve
has been

constantly in correspondence with remiss

members of the church and counsels them

Christ, they set to work with great en

thusiasm.

stirred up, and we expect to see an abun

dant harvest as a result. It is amazing to see what one dedicated couple can ac
complish for God.

to be faithful to the Lord. He goes calling on people with Andrew. He is a close friend, leader, and example to young Chris tians and unbelievers. Church posters,
signs, and advertisements are written with

The Sakurayama church is yet without

a minister. And there is a limit to what

his own hand. If the church building needs to be repaired or beautified, we set about the task together, each doing the work he
is best suited to do.

Andrew is able to accomplish as a foreigner ministering to the church. Bro. Uegaki has stepped in the gap and is doing the work which a minister would ordinarily do. He is a taxi driver by occupation. Before he leaves for his work, he carefully writes choice passages of Scripture on cards. He places these cards before him as he drives and commits the verses to memory. As a taxi driver he has every other day free. On these free days he sleeps only a few hours and then spends the rest of the day work ing for the church. He and his wife have helped this summer in visiting 18,000

as

Mrs. Uegaki is just as fine a Christian her husband, thanks to his patient

guidance. In her quiet dedicated way she

sets about doing anything that needs a woman's touch and never a murmuring word passes her lips. She considers it a great joy and blessing to serve the Lord. She
makes sure that she gives a smile and a

kind

word

of

encouragement

to every

stranger who visits the church. With her

own hands she cooks a meal which is served to all who wish to remain for it on

homes in the vicinity of the Sakurayama

and Arakawa churches to deliver tracts and
invitations to the services of these

churches. He has had such a strong effect on hi.s employer at the taxi company that he is allowed to get almost every Sunday free. He gladly takes that reduction in salary to keep his appointment with the Lord on the Lord's Day. If for some reason he has to

Sundays at noon. She arranges the flowers for the Church meetings and cleans the building. Although .she thus ministers to the physical needs of the church, her serv ices for the Lord do not end there. Being a Christian for only about six months, her knowledge of the (iible is not nearly so
extensive the short tlnit of her hu.sband. But shttime she has known the Lord.

has drunk deeply of the water of life during Though fairly new, her Bible is well marked and used. She gives a quiet word of advice Miss Milsunu^u of Sakuravama church bcinp buptizftl on II.

work on Sunday, he parks his taxi during

the worship service and resumes his work

1967 Mofosu Comp

Each year after our Christian Service Camp at beautiful Lake Motosu has become history, we are so enthusiastic over the the results that we readily pronounce it the best camp we have had. No doubt, this is true, for our camp has made steady progress and improvement over the years. This year's camp was excellent and we will never be able to measure the good that was done throughout the eight-day period.
Some new features were added to this

Itagaki

and

Fukuda

served as chapel

speakers for the first camp and Bro. Nomura as guest speaker for the week-end camp.

The total number of persons who at tended the 1967 camp was about 115. Seven persons were baptized as a result of the camp, and about two more people made decisions to serve Christ but waited to be baptized at their home church.

The teaching was done by the Japanese

preachers present and by Paul Pratt and A1
Hammond.

year's program, and they worked so well that we hope to continue to use them in future camps. Until now our campers up through the university group have all at tended camp at the same time and have been divided into class groups at camp.

It is significant that the price of the camp was not raised above last year's price in spite of the fact that prices have risen a great deal during that time. With out any subsidy from the missionaries, the camp paid for itself all the way and a little money was left over to finance printing and other initial expenses of next year's camp. No camper was helped financially during the camp, but the Japanese staff had their food expenses free.

As is always the case, the total good done by the camp cannot be measured in the number of baptisms only. The influence of the camp affected everyone who attended
it whether he was a Christian or an un

believer. The fruit of the seed sown in camp

will be harvested throughout the whole
year and far into the future. We thank the

Lord for this wonderful opportunity to serve and we pray for wisdom and guidance in the planning of next year's camp.
Andrew Ration

BITS OF NEWS

(continued from poge 2}

In September, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Fleenor and familyretutned to Japan from a furlough in the U.S.A. They are now settled
down in theirhome and at work for the Lord.

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Zinke and family, Baptist missionaries, are living in the home of the Buttrays at Kamiochiai while the Utter are on furlough.

.cP

Andrew Patton observed his 50th birth

day on October 4. He found out on that day that he is exactly half as old as the hot
dog. He heard on the radio that it was exactly 100 years ago on October 4 that the first hot dog was discovered. Should he
boast or be ashamed? Almost 20 of his 50

years have been spent in mission work in Japan. Some drastic changes have taken place since he first arrived there.

1967 Motosu Christian Service Camp.

Older persons were allowed to attend the same camp. Then a week-end camp was held for working people and families, though anyone was allowed to attend this camp. This year the eight-day period was divided into two. Only junior high and high school
students were allowed to attend the first

Andrew Patton

RETURN

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BOX 366, JOLIET, ILLINOIS 60434

camp, and university students and the general public were invited to the second. A little grumbling was heard about this among the youth, for they desired to con tinue as it was in the past. But the new arrangement contributed to better discipline and order in the two camps and this attend ance at the two camps worked out to be
about the same.

Another new feature of the camp this

year was a more complete division of re sponsibilities among the leaders of the
camp. This was true to some extent with

our other camps, but each leader this year was given one particular task for which he was responsible so that it could be done well. Paul Pratt served as manager for the first week; Bro. Itagaki as registrar and financial secretary; Bro. Fumio Sato as dean of men, Mrs. Itagaki as dean of women; Bro. HiroakiSato as music director; Andrew Patton was in charge of the kitchen and purchasing; Betty Patton ran the con cession stand; and Eleanor Hammond ad
ministered first aid. A1 Hammond served as

TK FEB* 65 MR; JAMES TAYLOi=i

RAMSEY,
ILLINOIS

62080^

director

of

the

family

camp.

Brothers