Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church
Encyclopedia
The Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church (Japanese
: 活けるキリスト一麦教会, Ikeru Kirisuto Ichibaku Kyōkai) is a Japanese
church that was founded by Matsubara Kazuhito
(松原和人) in 1939. . This is an independent and indigenous church, but the evangelical and holiness mission
traditions provide the primary theological foundations for the church. Like the holiness traditions, the church emphasized baptism of the Holy Spirit and healing; speaking in tongues, however, is not recognized as a legitimate practice for public worship, although some members exercise the "gift" in private. The founder emphasized divine healing and often anointed individuals with oil and held special healing services. This is much less common today, but occasionally a healing service is held. The church observes both baptism
and the Lord's Supper
.
A memorial service is held for the founder each May and for other deceased members on Easter Sunday and in the fall (autumn) on a Sunday preceding the autumn equinox (秋分の日).. Various Christian memorial services are also held in the homes of members on special death anniversaries in accord with Japanese tradition. These services are regarded as an excellent opportunity for evangelism. A common practice of church members is to divide the ashes (分骨) of the deceased between the church cemetery and the Buddhist family grave in an effort to accommodate the needs and concerns of non-Christian relatives.
At the head church in Nagoya average Sunday attendance is over two hundred and sign language
is provided for a small deaf group in the front of the church. The church service has a Biblical and evangelical orientation, with members following the sermon
with their Bible
s opened . The church actively supports revivals and crusades directed by various evangelical groups in Japan
, making its identity as a distinct and separate subculture weaker than other indigenous movements.
through the Mino
Mission
while a junior high student. While a student at Kyoto University
he began to study Christianity more seriously after hearing lectures on science and religion by Satō Teikichi, a Christian
professor
. Following graduation from university he moved to Kōbe
and became an elementary school
teacher. He converted to Christianity as a result of attending services led by an evangelistic group related to Barclay Baxton (1860–1946), a low-church Anglican who served as a missionary
in Kōbe and Matsue from 1890 to 1891.
Matsubara subsequently felt a call to be an evangelist
and attended Bible school (Shioya Seisho Gakusha) for one year to prepare for the ministry. He began independent evangelistic work in 1939. During the postwar period, the Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church has gown to include eighteen churches (primarily in the Nagoya and Kansai
areas) and a membership of over one thousand . Matsubara died in 1966 and his wife, Saki, has led the church since that time.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: 活けるキリスト一麦教会, Ikeru Kirisuto Ichibaku Kyōkai) is a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
church that was founded by Matsubara Kazuhito
Matsubara Kazuhito
is the founder of a Japanese independent church known as the Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church . Matsubara Kazuhito first came into contact with Christianity through the Mino Mission while a junior high student...
(松原和人) in 1939. . This is an independent and indigenous church, but the evangelical and holiness mission
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
traditions provide the primary theological foundations for the church. Like the holiness traditions, the church emphasized baptism of the Holy Spirit and healing; speaking in tongues, however, is not recognized as a legitimate practice for public worship, although some members exercise the "gift" in private. The founder emphasized divine healing and often anointed individuals with oil and held special healing services. This is much less common today, but occasionally a healing service is held. The church observes both baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
A memorial service is held for the founder each May and for other deceased members on Easter Sunday and in the fall (autumn) on a Sunday preceding the autumn equinox (秋分の日).. Various Christian memorial services are also held in the homes of members on special death anniversaries in accord with Japanese tradition. These services are regarded as an excellent opportunity for evangelism. A common practice of church members is to divide the ashes (分骨) of the deceased between the church cemetery and the Buddhist family grave in an effort to accommodate the needs and concerns of non-Christian relatives.
At the head church in Nagoya average Sunday attendance is over two hundred and sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
is provided for a small deaf group in the front of the church. The church service has a Biblical and evangelical orientation, with members following the sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
with their 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 opened . The church actively supports revivals and crusades directed by various evangelical groups in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, making its identity as a distinct and separate subculture weaker than other indigenous movements.
History
the founder of the Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church, Matsubara Kazuhito, first came into contact with ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
through the Mino
Mino
Mino is the name of several places in Japan:*Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture*Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture*Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture*"Mino" is an alternate spelling of Minoh, Osaka, a city in Osaka Prefecture...
Mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
while a junior high student. While a student at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
he began to study Christianity more seriously after hearing lectures on science and religion by Satō Teikichi, a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
. Following graduation from university he moved to Kōbe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and became an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teacher. He converted to Christianity as a result of attending services led by an evangelistic group related to Barclay Baxton (1860–1946), a low-church Anglican who served as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in Kōbe and Matsue from 1890 to 1891.
Matsubara subsequently felt a call to be an evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and attended Bible school (Shioya Seisho Gakusha) for one year to prepare for the ministry. He began independent evangelistic work in 1939. During the postwar period, the Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church has gown to include eighteen churches (primarily in the Nagoya and Kansai
Kansai
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo, and Shiga. Depending on who makes the distinction, Fukui, Tokushima and even Tottori Prefecture are also included...
areas) and a membership of over one thousand . Matsubara died in 1966 and his wife, Saki, has led the church since that time.