Church of God
Asia & the Pacific News
Japan

JAPAN

Historic. Without doubt, the 1996 annual national summer conference in August will be remembered as an historic moment in Japanese Church of God history with the first-time licensing of three women ministers.

Included among the three were a mother-daughter combination: Fumie Kudoh, who serves the Church of God in Sakai City, Osaka, alongside her pastor husband; and their daughter, Teruko Kudoh, currently working as an associate pastor at Hagiyama Church in Tokyo. The third woman licensed, Yukimi Aihara, and her husband are associate workers under Pastor Matsuzawa at Kitano Church, Tokyo.

In other business conducted at the national camp and General Assembly meetings that drew more than 100 participants from the 16 congregations of the Church of God around Japan, Hiroshi Fujita, pastor of Tachikawa Church, Tokyo, was re-elected assembly chairman. Masahiro Orita, pastor of Ameku Church, Okinawa, was re-elected vice-chairman. Additionally, special offerings of more than $1,200 (U.S.) were collected to launch a national appeal for help for Manuguit First Church of God in the Philippines, destroyed by fire in early July.

Another historic decision in August brought the work of the national women's association under the umbrella of the General Assembly. While the women, under leadership of President Aoki of Hagiyama Church, Tokyo, will continue to decide and manage their own budget, they now will report to the national association and be considered an official part of the national structure of the Church of God for the first time.

May 3-5 saw the gathering in Okinawa of more than 70 young people from throughout Japan for the sixth national youth convention. A main focus of this annual convention is challenging youth to enter full-time ministry. Adding a personal challenge was Evangelist Hwang from the Chia Mei Church of God in Taiwan, who shared her testimony of how God called her into the pastoral ministry. We praise God that two young men dedicated themselves to prepare for the ministry at this year's convention.

We are also rejoicing in the June 9 dedication of the new Hagiyama Church building in Tokyo. Missionaries Philip and Phyllis Kinley planted this church in 1975 and continue as its pastors today.