A Report from the A3 Japan Conference in Tokyo
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| Uesugi Harunori (1751 -1822) After retirement, he adopted the pen name, Yōzan (鷹山). Image courtesy of Wikipedia. |
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The conference began with our A3 Japan (A3J) National Director, Pastor Joshua Hari, speaking about Yozan Uesugi (1751-1822), Lord of Yonezawa in Yamagata in the mid-Tokugawa period. Yozan Uesugi had restored the finances of the clan, which was on the verge of bankruptcy. With his outstanding leadership, he laid the foundation for the promotion of the local industries in Yonezawa. Yozan Uesugi is also known as one of the Japanese respected by President John F. Kennedy.
Pastor Hari told the following anecdote about Yozan Uesugi. Looking at the cold ashes after a bonfire, he said,
"This place (Yonezawa) is just like these ashes. Nothing grows here."
Yozan lamented the poverty of the Yonezawa clan. However, when he stirred the ashes with a wooden stick, he found that there were remnants of charcoal in the ashes, remnants of a charcoal fire that had not yet been extinguished. When Yozan saw this, he said,
"Each of you has the spark of charcoal in your heart. Transfer it to one that has not been lit. Transfer that spark to another. I too will take the initiative and become a spark. Start a spark movement. Then the land of Yonezawa, which now looks like ashes, will surely be set ablaze."
These words struck a chord with his subordinates gathered around the campfire. "I agree! Let's do it!", and the spark ignited immediately.
After sharing this story, Pastor Hari looked at us saying,
“Japan as a mission field may look like ashes. But, you guys are the remnants of charcoal in the ashes. May this conference spark one another and may you bring back your charcoal to wherever you are to ignite others.”
I (Kohei) certainly came back to Yamagata encouraged and would like to share my charcoal with you.
The 99%
On the first day of the A3J conference, those who attended Lausanne 4 (L4), the Fourth Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Seoul last September, briefly shared what they took away from the congress. One thing they shared about L4 that struck me was the number “99%”. When Japanese ministers hear about 99%, we immediately think of the 99% of Japanese who are not yet believers. But that was not what they were talking about at L4. They mentioned that 99% of the Christians in the world are not professional ministers and that they could be important catalysts for world evangelization.
Before my family moved to Yamagata, I had shared that the same would be true for Japan. As you may know, statistics show that only 0.5% of Japanese are evangelical Christians. But 0.5% of 120 million is 600,000, which is not a small number. If all 600,000 Japanese believers (not just pastors and missionaries) would share and live the Gospel, God can make a significant impact in Japan.
Engaging the Church's 99% to Reach Japan's 99%
A great example of this was shared on the second day of the A3J conference when the A3 Japan study cohort shared what they had learned and experienced. Eight or nine pastors from all over Japan joined the two-year A3J cohort group (2023-2025). They met in person all over Japan and went through learning modules together. They also went to India together and baptized more people in a few weeks than they had baptized in their entire lives in Japan.
Inspired by their experience in India, four of these pastors planned a seekers' meeting this year. They intentionally allowed their church members ("the 99%") to play a key role in the meeting. One of the church members shared (at the A3J conference) her testimony of how she was involved in the meeting. It was even more encouraging that a student who had been saved through the seekers' meeting was there and also shared her testimony. And if that wasn't encouraging enough, the student who just shared told us that her boyfriend had been saved the day before, on the first day at the A3J conference!
It has always been on my heart to raise up leaders or catalysts from the 99% of believers. I often picture them as the ones being in the spotlight (to lead others to Christ), while pastors and missionaries are behind the scene setting up the stage for them.
Please pray for wisdom as we empower and encourage the 99% to reach the 99% of Japanese who do not yet believe.
Kohei Koyama
Kohei Koyama is Japanese, born and raised in Tokyo. After college, he moved to the U.S. and met Jesus through reading books written by a Japanese Christian author, Ayako Miura, and eventually the Bible. Ever since, he’s had a heart to reach the Japanese as many of his family and friends don’t know the Lord yet. Kohei and his wife Linda have three children and serve as Missional Partners with a local church in Yamagata, Japan.
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Photo credits:
- Photo of charcoal by Ben McLeod on Unsplash
- image of Yozan Uesugi courtesy Wikipedia
