by Ishimaru Yasuki, executive secretaySince the Kyodan and the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) signed a joint mission covenant in 1985, a Kyodan-PCT Consultation has been held every other year, with the site alternating between Japan and Taiwan.At present, five PCT churches in Japan are affiliated with the Kyodan, and six PCT missionaries are serving in Japan. Two of the churches are located i……

The Kyodan's decision about and tentative schedule for the celebration of a century and a half of Protestant mission in Japan has been announced in previous KNL issues. Summarizing from the celebration schedule leaflet and related articles in Shinpo (The Kyodan Times), Nos. 4668, 4673, and 4674), I would like to clarify the planned events and the motivation behind them.Despite considerable critici……

by Katsuyama Ken'ichiro, executive secretaryArticle 6 of the Kyodan's Constitution states: "To carry out its function, i.e., the work of the church, the Kyodan will establish districts." Actually, 17 districts have been established. Each year, from April to June, the various districts convene their assemblies and hold meetings. In some districts, a three-day meeting includes a study session. Distr……

The evangelistic efforts of churches in Japan seem to have come to astandstill, and youth evangelism is no exception. Even so, some people,albeit voluntarily, are still ardently engaged in youth evangelism--andwith some success. Today I would like to share one such example.About ten years ago in the fall of 1998, a youth evangelism activitybegan entitled, "A Gathering for Youth Who Will Undertake ……

This marks the 15th year that Nagasaki Furumachi Church has beenrecycling old paper as an activity of its church school, having begun inJuly 1993. It is recognized as a continuing activity contributing to therecycling of natural resources by the Nagasaki City EnvironmentProtection Bureau. The bureau has honored the church school with afinancial grant, all of which is donated to UNICEF through a lo……

n January 1992 I visited a small church near Nashville, Tennessee witha ten-member tour group as an activity of the Zenrinkan Christian Center(now Ou Christian Center) where I was working at that time. There I metJoe O'Donnell, who had come to Japan soon after the war as a cameramanwith the army, and I saw the pictures he had taken of Hiroshima andNagasaki.These were all pictures no one in Japan h……

by Miura Tadao, Ainu Peoples' Resource Center DirectorPastor, Rumoi Miyazono Church, Hokkai DistrictIn recent years there has been a lot of action all over the world aroundthe issue of indigenous peoples' rights. On Sept. 13, 2007, the UnitedNations General Assembly approved the "United Nations Declaration on theRights of Indigenous Peoples." In June 2008, the Japanese Diet passed aresolution reco……

by Go Kashiko, NFKWS Ecumenical Relations Committee chairPastor, Hachioji Eiko Church, Nishi Tokyo DistrictWhen the church restructured in 1969, the National Federation of KyodanWomen's Societies was organized as an autonomous body within the Kyodan.As our 40th Anniversary National Assembly is held June 2-3 in Makuhari,Chiba, the theme, "Salt of the Earth, Light of the World, Connected tothe Churc……

by Tim Boyle, missionaryBuraku Liberation Center, OsakaOf the many activities the Buraku Liberation Center engages in toeducate people both in the church and in general society, the"Liberation Play" is perhaps the most thought-provoking. The latestplay, "Forty Days in the Wilderness," is the eighth one produced by theBLC and was first presented at the 36th Kyodan General Assembly inOctober 2008. T……

by Suzuki Isao, memberKyodan Executive Council andMejiro Church, Kita Subdistrict, Tokyo DistrictThe report "50 Years of Kyodan Data" is the result of an effort by theKyodan's Commission on Finance to lay out the various trends to help theExecutive Council picture the future. It is hoped that this work will bea catalyst for both clergy and laity to discuss the issues involved andto think seriously……