Beyond the Façade

By Deborah St. Lawrence

In many ways, Japan seems to have it all together. The island nation is known for its manufacturing expertise, with exports of electronics, appliances, vehicles, and more contributing to a healthy economy. World Factbook, and many other sources, tout the superpower’s 99% literacy rate. Visitors are impressed with the nation’s cleanliness and low crime rate. But beneath the façade of a well-educated, orderly, affluent society lies a shadow of hopelessness, fatigue, and anxiety.

Suicide has become a national epidemic. In November 2020, a CNN headline proclaimed, “In Japan, more people died by suicide last month than from COVID in all of 2020.” The article goes on to cite the World Health Organization’s long-standing classification of Japan as one of the highest-ranking countries for suicide—almost double the world average. These highly educated, courteous, private, and cooperative people struggle with long work hours, the weight of pressure to succeed in school and work, the stress of natural disasters, and, of course, the increased isolation and economic woes the pandemic added.

According to Joshua Project, 98% of Japan’s 126 million people are unreached with the gospel. They cite 0.57% of the population, less than 72,000 people, as evangelical Christian. When an exhausted Japanese businessman boards a train, he is unlikely to encounter someone who can tell him about the rest Jesus provides. A harried Japanese mom seeking quiet in a tea shop probably will not meet a Christ-follower, see a Bible verse on a wall, or hear a Christian song playing. A desperate Japanese student will not learn about the hope and peace Christ gives from a Christian student in his school. It is unlikely any of these people will see a church on the corner near their homes.

The Japanese need Christ! Missionaries say recent crises in Japan have led to more openness and spiritual discussions. Christians have an opportunity to engage Japanese with the gospel of Jesus Christ. But more witnesses of the gospel are urgently needed.

Meeting the Challenge

IM is responding to this increased opportunity to share the gospel with the second largest unreached people group. In July 2021, the IM board approved three couples for career missionary service in Japan. All three couples completed internships in Japan before requesting to continue to career service.

One-third of Japan’s population lives on the Kanto plain, home to the greater Tokyo metropolis. Two of these newly appointed couples interned with and will continue to work with fellow missionaries at the Hope Alive church plant. The bilingual church is positioned in a bustling area near a train depot in Tokorozawa on the northwest side of Tokyo.

Jack and Ashley Ketteman (above) spent two and a half years working at Hope Alive. Ashley’s primary ministry role was children’s ministry. She established Hope Alive’s main Sunday kids’ class, with over 20 elementary-age students attending weekly by the time the Kettemans returned to the States. By recruiting teams of volunteer teachers and translators, she ensured this ministry will continue during her time stateside. She also organized a Vacation Bible School outreach each summer. To ensure continued growth, she developed two ongoing small group Bible studies for upper elementary and middle school students. These met both in person and via Zoom.

Jack’s ministry focused on leading worship through music each week. He selected bilingual songs and Scriptures, prepared slides and music, and coordinated a rotating team of volunteer musicians, readers, and translators. He also led weekly group discipleship classes, weekly one-on-one Bible studies with men, bimonthly Bible studies for seekers, and a monthly music outreach.
The Kettemans hope to return to Japan before the new school year begins.

Daniel and Shelby Culwell (above) also spent two and a half years working at Hope Alive. Shelby’s creative expertise has been used in designing logos and creating signs, brochures, social media memes, and other materials to help the church share hope with those passing their building.

She runs the church website and prepares slides and graphics for services. She also worked diligently with toddler’s classes and was responsible for the 2021 VBS/English Bible Camp. The successful event gave 28 children—who had never attended Hope Alive—an opportunity to hear about Jesus.

Daniel’s construction and business capabilities served the church well as it underwent renovation during the last couple of years. He handles maintenance and finances, as well as working in English outreach and youth ministry.

Due to COVID restrictions, the Culwells were the only Hope Alive team members in Japan for a couple of weeks. They remained to allow senior team members, Heath and Joni Hubbard, to return and exit quarantine.

As new career missionaries, the Kettemans and Culwells will begin their next term in full-time language school for two years, all while participating at Hope Alive on a smaller scale. They will re-enter full-time ministry better equipped to share the gospel in Japanese.

Daniel and Kate (above) Speer began their internship journey in April 2013. Persevering through several severe medical issues for Kate and their first-born child Audrey, the couple spent four years in internship in the greater Tokyo area, working with two established church plants: Good News Chapel in Iruma-shi and Kamifukuoka Christ Church in Kawagoe-shi.

The last two years, the couple assisted Ken and Judy Bailey and Rusty and Brenda Carney with church music and helped in outreach efforts at Kamifukuoka Christ Church. Daniel also preached occasionally.

At Good News Chapel, they assisted Don and Ruth McDonald with music for online services. Good News Chapel also served as the location for two series of gospel choir workshops prior to COVID restrictions. Kate led these outreach efforts and saw several Japanese people move closer to a profession of faith as a result.

Daniel taught weekly English and Bible lessons throughout the pandemic. The Speers desired to be part of the community into which they moved during their second two years. Enrolling Audrey into a Japanese public school allowed them to interact on a more personal level with school officials and teachers, other students, neighbors, and the parents of the children.

Daniel studied Japanese for three semesters. Kate, raised in Japan as the daughter of missionaries Don and Ruth McDonald, has proficiency in the language. However, both look forward to taking additional language classes during the first two years of their first full term as career missionaries. Daniel desires to preach effectively in Japanese.

The Speer family will relocate upon their return to Japan. Instead of assisting the works in the greater Tokyo area, they will move to the northernmost island of Hokkaido to work with Doug and Miriam Bishop. Miharashidai Chapel, planted some 30 years ago in Sapporo, has died out. Together, the couples will seek to revitalize those left and build New Life Church. Daniel and Kate look forward to living “on mission” in the community, building relationships and seeking opportunities to intentionally share the gospel with their neighbors. As accomplished musicians, they will head up the weekly worship music as well as participate in other ways.

The need in Japan is great. Daily, Japanese men, women, and children die without ever knowing God loves them, gave His Son to die for them, and longs to embrace them as His children. They need to hear the good news of salvation and hope. They need to hear before it’s too late.
Please support these families with prayer and finances, so they can tell lonely, hopeless Japanese moms and dads, teens and children, aging men and women the God of the universe created them, loves them, and desires to have a personal relationship with each one of them.

About the Author: Deborah St. Lawrence is the editorial liaison between ONE Magazine and IM, Inc. Contact Deborah at: deborah@iminc.org. Learn more about Free Will Baptist missions work in Japan.