True Jesus Church in Japan
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- This article was originally a direct translation from zh:日本真耶穌教會史.
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[edit] Introduction: The Pentecostal movement in Japan
Not long after the a group of American christians received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the United States, the resulting Pentecostal movement quickly spread worldwide and the Assembly of God in Japan was established. It was at this time when Mr. Murata (村田) also became a member of this large denomination and helped pastor the new Japanese converts.
[edit] Origins of the True Jesus Church in Japan
Elder Suda (須田清基長老) was living in Tainan, Taiwan during the Japanese era was once a member of the Japanese Holiness Church. In 1927, he accepted the gospel preached by the True Jesus Church and became one of its believers after being baptised. Not long after receiving the Holy Spirit, Brother Suda became one of TJC's preachers after the laying on of hands by Taiwanese preachers. He began preaching to Japanese residents of Taiwan.
In 1941, a Japanese pastor from the Holy Bible Church flew to Taiwan specifically to study the basic faiths, teachings and doctrines of the True Jesus Church. Among those who visited were Mr. Murai (村井) and Mr. Uwai (上井). After accepting the basic beliefs of the church, the two pastors received baptism and returned to their hometowns in Japan to spread the gospel there.
[edit] Events after the Pacific war
The following year, Brother Murai broke away the True Jesus Church and established his own independent church - the "Spirit of Jesus Church". Another believer, who was a pastor from the Japanese Assembly of God, Mr. Murata (村田) was baptised in Japan. Brother Murata subsequently moved to Taiwan along with his family and evangelised to the Japanese residents.
After the Pacific War had ended with Japan's surrender in 1945, Brothers Suda and Murata headed back to Japan and helped establish the Kamitaira (上平), and Nanjou (南條) True Jesus Churches in Tokyo. The two Japanese preachers later also established Prayer Houses in Sakai, Fukui (坂井), Ueda (上田), Hainuzu (羽犬塚).
[edit] The Osaka Church
On 25 September, 1955 the True Jesus Church in Osaka (大阪) was established and after their third evangelical service in 1957, the Japanese Coordination board was founded in the following year. The name was changed to "the Japanese General Assembly" in 1970.
Today TJC churches can also be found in Maebashi (前橋), Habikino (羽曳野), Sumiyoshi (住吉) and Misaki (御崎).
Despite the efforts of its early Japanese preachers, the growth of the church in Japan was limited - perhaps because average living standards in Japan are high in comparison with other countries so most people reckon they do not need to believe.
