Middlesex University Research Repository An open access repository of Middlesex University research http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk Maxton, Anupama Esther (2017) ’A band of Evangelists, native and "foreign"’: the story of Japanese initiatives in indigenizing the Japan Evangelistic Band 1930-1940. PhD thesis, Middlesex University. [Thesis] Final accepted version (with author’s formatting) This version is available at: https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/21820/ Copyright: Middlesex University Research Repository makes the University’s research available electronically. Copyright and moral rights to this work are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners unless otherwise stated. The work is supplied on the understanding that any use for commercial gain is strictly forbidden. A copy may be downloaded for personal, non-commercial, research or study without prior permission and without charge. 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See also repository copyright: re-use policy: http://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/policies.html#copy ‘A Band of Evangelists, Native and “Foreign”’: The Story of Japanese Initiatives in Indigenizing the Japan Evangelistic Band 1903-1940 Anupama Esther Maxton OCMS, Ph.D. March 2017 ABSTRACT Most research on indigenization in missions concentrates on missionary achievements of church planting and handing them over to nationals. This is a historical reconstruction of the indigenization of a mission organization, the Japan Evangelistic Band (JEB), from 1903 to 1940. I argue that in a period when missionaries led mission organizations in the mission field, the JEB was led by the Japanese. The indigenous nature of the JEB was a Japanese initiative. The Mission was also distinct because women, both foreign and Japanese, were an important workforce in the Mission. They actively contributed to all aspects of the JEB ministry and gave the Mission a holistic nature. Japanese male and female initiatives and female missionary influence on the JEB ministry are assessed by their participation in establishing the Mission, their leadership in administrative councils, their contribution to evangelism and church planting, and their influence in changing Mission policies. The internal story of the Mission is reconstructed by reading the correspondence between the individuals and the councils in Japan and England, published and unpublished literature, and the archives of their ministry partners in the light of the Japanese socio-political environment of the period researched. Six internal voices add different dimensions to the story to reveal reasons for indigenous leadership and the effects of the growth in Japanese nationalism on the members and ministry of the Mission. 1 ‘A Band of Evangelists, Native and “Foreign”’: The Story of Japanese Initiatives in Indigenizing the Japan Evangelistic Band 1903-1940 by Anupama Esther Maxton B.A. (University of Lucknow) M.A. (Kanpur University) M.Th. (Queen’s University of Belfast) Director of Studies: Prof. David Killingray, Ph.D. Second Supervisor: Dr. Ken Miyamoto, Ph.D. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Middlesex University March 2017 Oxford Centre for Mission Studies 3 DECLARATIONS This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not being concurrently submitted for any degree. Signed …………… ……………………….. (Candidate) Date ………………………………………………….. STATEMENT ONE This thesis is the result of my own investigation, except where otherwise stated. Where correction services have been used, the extent and nature of the correction is clearly marked in a footnote. Other sources are acknowledged by midnotes or footnotes giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed …………… ………………….. (Candidate) Date …………………………………………….. STATEMENT TWO This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I hereby give consent for my thesis, if approved, to be available for photocopying by the British Library and for Inter-Library Loan, for open access to the Electronic Thesis Online Services (EthoS) linked to the British Library, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organizations. Signed ………… ……………………... (Candidate) Date ………………………………………………. 5 Dedication This work is dedicated to my paternal great-grand mother Bachuli and maternal grand-mother Esther. I never met you but have been blessed by the stories of your faith and ministry. And to my mother Shail my inspiration and my spiritual guide I wish you were here to see me finish this research. i Acknowledgements This research was made possible with the help and encouragement of several people. I would like to express my gratitude to: 1. My first supervisor and director of studies, Professor David Killingray, for his encouragement, advice and careful supervision. I’m deeply grateful for his patience in times of struggle, and refreshing weekends at his home with his wife Margaret Killingray. 2. My second supervisor Dr. Ken Miyamoto for his advice and meetings in his office in Kobe. 3. To all the members of OCMS faculty, for their helpful advice. Dr. Julie Ma, my House Tutor, and Dr. Wonsuk Ma for their support and encouragement. 4. Japan Christian Link director, Selvan Anketel, for giving me permission to access the Japan Evangelistic Band archives stored at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. 5. To all the Japan Evangelistic Band pastors, board members in Japan who invited me to their yearly conference and willingly answered all my questions and encouraged me to continue this project. Special thanks to Rev. Itoigawa who despite his failing eyesight helped me make contacts in the JEB and took me to the JEB headquarters and Kansai Seisho Gakko. Heartfelt thanks also to Rev. and Mrs. Nakajima for giving me information about the Mission and answering all my e-mails. 6. Kansai Seisho Gakko principal Rev. Hiroo Kudo for giving me access to the Bible College library. 7. Kazuka Inoue, Satoru Urano, Yumi Takahashi and Tomoko Makino for helping me read difficult Japanese texts and explaining their meaning. Hiroshi Imamura for advice on Japanese politics, kanji (Chinese Characters) and drawing a map of Japan. Masayo Osaki for your prayer and help to make contacts in Japan, and to search for archives. Takeshi and Mikiko Kajihara for prayer support. Special thanks to Mikiko for driving me to libraries in search of archives and delicious home cooked meals; Heather McCullough for prayer and encouragement on difficult days; pastors and members of Nihon Kirisuto Kyodan Nishi Noda Kyokai and Lighthouse Kirisuto Kyokai for prayers and permitting me to share my research at church seminars. 8. My parents, Shail and Man Mohan Maxton, and siblings Asha and her family, Ashish and his family and Adarsh for your constant prayer and encouragement that enabled me to continue research through difficult periods in our family. My aunt Lajwanti and uncle Ramesh Timotheus for prayers. iii Table of Contents Dedication .................................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................. iii List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ ix List of Japanese Words in the Thesis ............................................................................... x Map of Japan ............................................................................................................................ xi Chapter One .............................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 The Japan Evangelistic Band .................................................................................................................. 1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Methodology and sources ....................................................................................................................... 3 Identity of the author ............................................................................................................................. 13