is the founder of 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...

 independent church known as the Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church

Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church

The Living Christ One Ear of Wheat Church is a Japanese church that was founded by Matsubara Kazuhito in 1939. . This is an independent and indigenous church, but the evangelical and holiness mission traditions provide the primary theological foundations for the church...

 (活けるキリスト一麦教会). Matsubara Kazuhito first came into contact with Christianity

Christianity

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 stufy 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 wighteen 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 .