Japan Holiness Church
Encyclopedia
The Japan Holiness Church (Japanese: 日本ホーリネス教団, Nihon Hōrinesu Kyōdan) traces its origins to the early evangelistic work of the Oriental Missionary Society, organized by Juji Nakada
(1870–1939) and by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cowman
in 1901. Nakada had become acquainted with the Cowmans during a period he spent at the Moody Bible Institute
in Chicago (1896–1898). Although the Oriental Missionary Society began as a nondenominational evangelistic movement, it changed shape over time until it became the Japan Holiness Church in 1917. From an initial membership of 1,600 and forty-six churches, it grew rapidly to a membership of 13,523 in 1932.It is a member of the Japan Evangelical Association
(JEA).
, bringing the phase of growth to an abrupt halt. Apparently Nakada had received a new revelation from God during a special visitation of the Holy Spirit
. Tetsunao Yamamori summarizes the change in doctrine as follows:
As Bishop
of the Japan Holiness Church, Nakada expected all seminary teachers and pastors to accept his new vision, but many leaders rejected his authority, which in turn led to a schism within the ranks. Ōtsuki Takeji
was among those who remained loyal to the end.
Nakada Jūji was a charismatic individual whose impact on Ōtsuki was enormous. Indeed, to this day Ōtsuki refers to Nakada as his teacher and great prophet
, adding that before meeting him he had understood nothing of the Bible
's teaching's regarding personal sanctification
, the restoration of Israel, and the Second Coming of Christ.
The Japan Holiness Church, under pressure from the wartime government, joined the United Church of Christ in Japan
. After the Pacific War
, They withdrew from the UCCJ in 1949 and Reverend Kurumada Akitsugu was chisen to be its chairman. In the 1970s leadership passed to a new generation, and the current chairman is Rev. Murakami Nobuchi. Dr. Koyabashi Kazuo serves as president of the denomination's school, Tokyo Biblical Seminary (東京聖書学院). The denomination has eighteen districts actively engaged mationwide in church planting. In 1990 there were 157 churches.
Juji Nakada
was a Japanese holiness evangelist, known as "the Dwight Moody of Japan" , who was the first bishop of the Japan Holiness Church and one of the co-founders of the Oriental Missionary Society ..- Personal History :...
(1870–1939) and by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cowman
Charles Cowman
Charles Elmer Cowman was a missionary evangelist in Japan. He was also one of the cofounders of the Oriental Missionary Society .- Early life :...
in 1901. Nakada had become acquainted with the Cowmans during a period he spent at the Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
in Chicago (1896–1898). Although the Oriental Missionary Society began as a nondenominational evangelistic movement, it changed shape over time until it became the Japan Holiness Church in 1917. From an initial membership of 1,600 and forty-six churches, it grew rapidly to a membership of 13,523 in 1932.It is a member of the Japan Evangelical Association
Japan Evangelical Association
Japan Evangelical Association is a fellowship of member denominations, churches. The JEA is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance .-Member denominations:*Immanuel General Mission*The Salvation Army*Evangelical Free Church of Japan...
(JEA).
Historical Events
A controversy erupted the following year in 1933 around a shift in Nakada's teaching regarding eschatologyEschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
, bringing the phase of growth to an abrupt halt. Apparently Nakada had received a new revelation from God during a special visitation of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
. Tetsunao Yamamori summarizes the change in doctrine as follows:
- The doctrinal emphases had always been placed on justificationJustification (theology)Rising out of the Protestant Reformation, Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice....
, sanctificationSanctificationSanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
, divine healing, and the Second Coming of Christ. to this list, Nakada now wished to add a fifth point, that Christ's Second Coming would be possible only through the restoration of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. therefore, he admonished the members to pray for this to take place. to many it seemed as though Nakada believed that by praying for the salvation of the Jews the Japanese race might be saved. This was in direct conflict with the traditional view that salvation was an individual matter.
As Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Japan Holiness Church, Nakada expected all seminary teachers and pastors to accept his new vision, but many leaders rejected his authority, which in turn led to a schism within the ranks. Ōtsuki Takeji
Ōtsuki Takeji
Ōtsuki Takeji is the founder of the third largest independent Japanese church, known as the Holy Ecclesia of Jesus . Ōtsuki was born in Ayabe City in 1906, and as a young man converted to Christianity while a student at Dōshisha Middle school, a private mission school in Kyoto...
was among those who remained loyal to the end.
Nakada Jūji was a charismatic individual whose impact on Ōtsuki was enormous. Indeed, to this day Ōtsuki refers to Nakada as his teacher and great prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, adding that before meeting him he had understood nothing of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
's teaching's regarding personal sanctification
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
, the restoration of Israel, and the Second Coming of Christ.
The Japan Holiness Church, under pressure from the wartime government, joined the United Church of Christ in Japan
United Church of Christ in Japan
The United Church of Christ in Japan is the largest Protestant denomination in Japan. It was a union of thirty three diverse Protestant religious bodies forcibly brought together by the Japanese wartime government on June 24, 1941.The UCCJ is a member of the World Council of Churches .-Events...
. After the Pacific War
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
, They withdrew from the UCCJ in 1949 and Reverend Kurumada Akitsugu was chisen to be its chairman. In the 1970s leadership passed to a new generation, and the current chairman is Rev. Murakami Nobuchi. Dr. Koyabashi Kazuo serves as president of the denomination's school, Tokyo Biblical Seminary (東京聖書学院). The denomination has eighteen districts actively engaged mationwide in church planting. In 1990 there were 157 churches.
Further reading
- Cho, Chongnahm. "Theological roots and emphasis of the OMS-Holiness Church". godislove.net