The Mission Schools Council is the organization consisting of Christian schools that had historically received missionaries from England and from churches in North America that were members of the former Japan-North American Commission on Cooperative Mission (JNAC). Formerly termed the CoC-related Schools Council (CoC: Council of Cooperation), the MCS was renamed in 2007 when the CoC was dissolved.

Only one-third of the 40 schools affiliated with the Missions Schools Council currently have missionaries.  The remaining two-thirds, despite the fact that they have no missionaries, continue to support the Mission Schools Council. Steering Committee Chairperson, Kogure Shuya, chancelor of Meiji Gakuin University, has led discussion many times within the Steering Committee about the desire expressed by some schools to withdraw from the council. In some way, the committee wants to help schools without missionaries also to sense the merit of council participation.

At last year’s Steering Committee meeting, committee member David Reedy of Aoyama Gakuin University made a proposal to solicit communication from schools without missionaries. This was the beginning of the current project of arranging for a missionary to visit and hold worship services in schools where no missionaries are presently assigned. The MCS is the sponsor, but the actual coordination has been carried out by Kyodan staff members. The MCS Steering Committee selected the target schools, and after these schools agreed and set the dates for the visitation, Kyodan office staff searched for missionaries willing to give a message.

Actual School Sites for the 2016-2017 School Year:

Keiwa Gakuen High School: Missionary In-Hye Chang

Niijima Gakuen Senior High School:

Missionary David Reedy

Osaka Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School, University,

College: Missionary Martha Mensendieck

Yamanashi Eiwa Junior High School:

Missionary Mike Sherrill

Towanomori Sanai High School:

Missionary Divan Suqluman

Toyo Eiwa Jogakuin Junior High School and

Senior High School:  Missionary Ruth Wahrer

J. F. Oberlin Senior High School:

Missionary Devora Umipig-Julian

Seikyo Gakuen High School: Missionary Kim Jong-Hyun

(Korean Christian Church in Japan)

Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior and Senior High School:

Missionary Sheila Norris

Among the missionaries listed above, some stayed in a school dormitory and interacted with the students, and some taught a class following their message. These encounters with missionaries gave birth to a response, and the students absorbed their messages. A sense of joy was shared by the missionaries who went and the students who heard the messages. There was a friendly call from many schools saying, “Please come again!” A staff person from the Kyodan Office also went with the missionary going to each school.

Nearly all the schools without missionaries have had no missionaries for over ten years. So naturally, there has been a break in the connection between the schools without missionaries and the Kyodan Office. However, through the accompaniment of the person from the Kyodan Office this time, a face-to-face relationship was restored. Some of the schools that were visited have indicated a desire for new missionaries to be sent to them.

Through the creation and restoration of trust relationships, the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ will move ahead!

(Tr. RT)

—Takada Teruki, staff Kyodan Commission on Ecumenical Ministries

宣教協力学校協議会主催、宣教師不在校での出張礼拝

日本基督教団事務局世界宣教部　職員　高田輝樹

宣教協力学校協議会は、これまでに北米・英国の旧JNAC(Japan-North American Commission on Cooperative Mission)諸 教会から、宣教師を受入れてきた諸学校で構成する協議会である。かつてはCoC(Council of Cooperation)関 係学校協議会(The CoC-related Schools Council)と いう名称だったが、旧CoCの発展的解消により2007年に改称した。

宣教協力学校協議会の加盟校は40校あるが、現在、宣教師がいらっしゃる学校は全体の３分の１に留まる。残りの３分の２は、宣教師不在にもかかわら ず同協議会を支え続けている。脱退の意向を表明する加盟校が現れる中、同協議会の運営委員会は小暮修也運営委員長（明治学院院長）を 中心に何度も話し合いを持った。宣教師不在校にも協議会加盟のメリットを感じられる働きを見出そう、としたのだ。

昨年の運営委員会で、デイヴィッド・リーディー運営委員（青山学 院大学）より提案があった。宣教師不在校で、宣教師に説教をして貰おう、と。こうして本プロジェクトが動き出した。主催は同協議会だ が、実際のコーディネートは私たち教団事務局が行った。

対象校を同協議会の運営委員会が選び出し、対象校に実施日を割り 出して頂いた後、私たちが説教を引き受けて下さる宣教師を探し出した。

＜２０１６年、実施校＞

敬和学園高等学校．．．張仁惠宣教師

新島学園高等学校．．．リーディー宣教師

大阪女学院中学、大学・短大．．．メンセンディーク宣教師

山梨英和中学校．．．シェロ宣教師

＜２０１７年、実施校＞

とわの森三愛高校．．．スクルマン宣教師

東洋英和中学・高校．．．ウェーラー宣教師

桜美林高等学校．．．ウミピグ＝ジュリアン宣教師

清教学園高等学校．．．金鐘賢宣教師(KCCJ受 け入れ宣教師)

福岡女学院中学・高校．．．ノリス宣教師

上記の宣教師の中には、学生寮に宿泊して生徒と交流したり、説教 の後にクラスの授業を受け持ったりした方々もいらっしゃった。宣教師との出会いは共感を生み、生徒は説教に聞き入った。出かけて行っ た宣教師も、説教を聞いた生徒も、喜びを共にすることができた。多くの学校から、また来てください、とのラブコールを頂いた。宣教師 の各学校訪問には教団事務局からもスタッフが同行した。

宣教師不在校の殆どは、宣教師が不在となって１０年以上経っている。当然、宣教師不在校と教団事務局との連絡は途 切れている。しかし今回、教団事務局の者が同行することによって、顔と顔の見える関係が回復した。訪問した学校の中からは、宣教師新 規派遣を希望する学校も現れている。

信頼関係の構築・関係回復を通して、主イエスの宣教の御業は前進 するのだろう。