by Hoshina Takashi, pastor of Odaka Church, Tohoku District
The Sunday Worship Service at Odaka Church in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture, which had been discontinued for eight years, ever since the Great East Japan Disaster and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident, was resumed at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Jan. 27, 2019. For a little over a year following the disaster, admittance had been denied to this forced evacuation area and there was no way to continue worship services there. The church has a kindergarten, but it is still closed, as there are no children in the town.
Every year since April 2012, after daytime access to the area was again permitted, a Christmas worship service has been conducted at the church. I am grateful that one of the believers comes back to his home in Odaka from the Iwaki City evacuation center in Fukushima Prefecture for this Christmas Worship Service and makes preparations for it each time. I am hoping this will not become a burden to him. The seventh Christmas Worship Service was held in December 2018.
A “Consultation to Consider the Future of Odaka Church,” sponsored by Tohoku District, was held at the church in September 2018 to deal with the issues it faces, which includes that of radioactive pollution. Hereafter, as a norm, we are hoping to observe a Sunday Worship Service at 3 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of every month. Especially as the church is in Tohoku District, its support is necessary, as is that of the churches of the northeast Fukushima and south Miyagi area. (Tr. RT)
From Kyodan Shinpo (The Kyodan Times) No. 4901･02
2011年3月の東日本大震災と東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故以来、約八年の間中断されていた福島県南相馬市にある小高伝道所の主日礼拝が2019年1月27日(日)午後3時から再開されました。原発事故後は約一年余り強制避難区域に指定され立ち入り禁止になりました。付属の幼稚園がありますが休園の状態が続いています。町に子どもはいなくなりました。そして、主日礼拝は全く守れなくなりました。
2012年4月以後からは昼間のみ入れるようになった伝道所でのクリスマス礼拝を毎年一二月に守ってきました。伝道所の信徒が一名、このクリスマス礼拝のために避難先の福島県いわき市から自宅のある小高にもどり集会の準備を毎回されていますことに感謝します。負担にならないようにと願っています。昨年の12月が7回目のクリスマスの礼拝になりました。
東北教区の取り組みとして昨年の9月に「小高伝道所の今後を考える協議会」を小高伝道所で開催し放射能汚染の問題を含めた伝道所の直面する課題を共有しました。今後は毎月一回の主日礼拝を第4週の午後3時からを基本として守りたいと願っています。特に東北教区で同じ地区に属する相双・宮城南地区の教会の応援が必要です。
（保科隆、小高伝道所牧師）
