/ ,,. , 'J~.',"C""'"I " ~ I ", ,. / ~ I -t!,oy.. '\ p., Y'.\ l. '\"\.': 0, '1-. '} /';1.';(, .>" \ \ .J .. '~/ ... ~.."tI 1933 '~:-~~.~~::.: ::.:;;~:)~ JAPAN BAPTIST ANNUAL JAPAN BAPTIST ANNUAL FOR 193 3 PUBLISHED BY THE EAST JAPAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY GROUP of the AMERICAN BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY and the WOMAN'S AMERICAN BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY BAPTIST HEADQUARTERS 'I ITCHOME, MISAKI CHO, KANDA. TOKYO Te!ephone, Kanda 3115 SECRETARY OF EAST JAPAN BAPTIST CONVENTION: NOBUO TOKITA MISSIONARY SECRETARY OF CONVENTION: ELMA R. THARP TREASURER. J. FULLERTON ORESSITT JAPAN BAPTIST ANNUAL CONTENTS SPECIAL ARTICLES A Review of the Y ear-j. F. Gressitt . 1 Christian History in the Making-j. A. Foote 2 Gazelle Rulofson Thomson-Emma H. Fisher 4 Robert A. Thcmso:l D.D.-Emma H. Fisher 5 E. H. Jones B.D.--C/ara A. COnVe1"Se . 5 CHURCHES, KINDERGARTENS AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS Himeji Field: Evangelistic Work-W F. Tcpping . 7 Himeji and Inland Sea Fields: Women's Work-Amy A. Accck 7 Inland Sea Field: Evangelistic Work- W. F. Topping . 8 Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto Fields: Evangelistic Work-J. A. Foote 10 Zenrin Kindergarten, Kobe - Margaret H. Foote. 12 Loo Choo Islands-K. Akagawa 12 Yokohama Field: Atsugi Church -]. H. Covell. ]3 Women's Work and Kindergartens-Chiyo Yamada 13 Tokyo Field: Evangelistic Work--j. F. Gressitt 15 Starlight Kindergartens-M. M. Carp:;ntcr . 16 Misaki English Bible Class-Lucinda B. A:Kling , 17 Mito Field: Evangelistic Work-]. S. Kennard, fr. 18 Morioka and Sendai Fields: Evangelistic Work--F. W Steadman. 19 Women's Evangelistic Work and Kindergartens in Northern J apan-Thomasine Allen . 22 SOCIAL SERVICE INSTITUTIONS 03aka: Mead Christian Center-Margaret E. Cuddeback. 24 Yokohama: Kanto Gakuin Settlement-f. H. Covell 25 Tokyo: Misaki and Fukagawa Tabernacles-Tota Fujii . 25 Yuai Gakusha (Friendship Hostel), Waseda-H. B. Benninghoff 26 Young Women's Dormitory-Gertrude E. Ryder. 28 Morioka Field: Tono Christian Center-A nnie S. Buzzdl 29 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Himeji: Hinomoto Girls' School- K. Yamamoto 32 03aka: Women's Bible Training S~hool-Ann M. Kludt 33 Yokohama: Kanto Gakuin (Mabie Memorial Boys' School)-Royal Haigh Fisher .34 Soshin Jogakko (Mary L. Colby Girls' School)-Winifred M. A~. ~ Tokyo: Tokyo Kindergarten Teachers' Training School-The Editors 38 Woman's Union Christian College-From "The Christian Graphic" 39 Sendai: Shokei Jogakko (Ella O. Patrick Girls' S:hool) Helen L. Wilson . 40 CHURCH STATISTICS. 42 EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS 44 DIRECTORY . 46 Japan Baptist Convention and Baptist Mission, Kyoto, May 24, 1933 SPECIAL ARTICLES REVIEW OF THE YEAR ]. Fullerton Gressitt The past year of Baptist -work jn Japan, the sixtieth since the openihg of our mission, coincided with the "hijoji," or "extraordinary period" _into which Japan entered following the assassination of Premier· Inukai on May 15, -1932. In spite of the political turmoil, the economic strain, the strong movement of nationalism accompanying the outthrust into Manchuria and the withdrawal of Japan from the League of Nations, not to mention numerous other movements, all the while there has been a steady development of our churches. Undeniably, a new sense of responsibility for prosecuting the work has been attained. Grants-in-aid to churches and chapels have been steadily (this year, drastically) reduced, necessitating their assumption of greater financial responsibility. , With the new organization of the East Japan Convention and the relinquishment of responsibilities formerly borne - by the missionaries, the process of devolution has been decidedly hastened. In truth, the process here had advanced to a_ point which would be quite unsuspected by an uninformed reader of "Re-thinking Missions/' However, economic conditions here are far from favorable. Many of our churches are still weak, and a too rapid withdrawal of aid would possibly be disastrous for them. Undoubtedly, the new Convention organization effected at Kyoto in May of this year ushered -Baptists of Japan into 'a new period rich in possibilities of development. The relations between our Japanese Baptist leaders and the missionaries have grown doser, and there -has never been a year of truer cooperation. than the year just ended. _ Reports from our schools will dou btless deal with their recent developm,ent~, but it i~ no( out of place to -r~cord our gratii}-cation at -the remarkable enrIchment of the educatIOnal program offered in at least -two of the schools. These schools have exerted a strong 'influence- in the -past, but" ~ith -bettered fac~lities and with str{mg~r staffs .than ever, they will not .-fail to minister more effectively,than ever in the build~n,g of God's Kingdom in Japan. - 2 SPECIAL ARTICLES CHRISTIAN HISTORY IN THE MAKING John A. Foote The event of the year in Baptist circles in Japan was the completion of the merger of the East Japan Baptist Convention with the Japan Baptist Mission. By this reorganization, the Baptist Mission as a legislating body ·outside the Convention disappeared. The mission was the parent body, for in the early days missionaries were the Christians in Japan. As the Japanese Christians increased in number and were trained in New Testament ideals of church life, the day came when an East Baptist Convention was organized. The two bodies for a number of years lived side by side in beautiful fellowship. When national-interests became more and more the concern of the Japanese body, it became necessary to form a joint body with representatives from both bodies to attend to all denominational concerns which tended to overlap. Gradually the missionary representation on this Joint Committee decreased and a Japanese trained leadership took over practically all the area of interests which concerned church administration and education. The day finally arrived when it became very necessary in order to avoid duplication of effort, to have' but one Baptist body, one administration. The Japanese Baptists were reaching maturity and wished to launch prograrns,aUocate missionaries, administer the educational institutions-become the complete Japan Baptist voice in all matters national and international. The beauty of it all is the unanimity, through the decades, with which this evolution has taken place. I think it may be said that the Japanese consciousness has not grown as fast as the missionaries have wished it to, that the missionaries have prayed for this day' with greater fervor than the Japanese have been willing to accept it. The apron strings have been loosely tied aU the' years and were waiting only for the tug of the growing child to sever them. Three years ago the missionaries were urging the merger and were willing to enter it, but the Japanese leaders, always wise in such matters above their mentors, asked for one year's, then a second year's, then a third year's postponement. Not until they were sure that the rank and file knew what new powers were being bestowed upon them were the leaders willing to have the Japan Baptist Mission step out of the picture as a Baptist entity. At Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan, and even yet the aesthetic and historical center, (political, cultural, religious and socia!), the city where every Emperor is enthroned, on May 24, 19::J3, in the Kyoto Baptist Church the vote was taken in a joint session to become on~ Baptist Convention. A constitution (prepared jointly through many committee sessions and previous Mission and Convention sessions, with Board approval) was adopted. Im­ mediately the new organization was made by the casting· of ballots and the setting up of new committees and departments. A spirit of prayer pervaded the inauguration of President Kawaguchi as the first president of the new body. Of course the Baptist prerogative of free discussion was invoked and all were CHRISTIAN HISTORY IN THE MAKING . 3 heard who felt that they had something to say. But the same Baptist ability to unite was also manifest and it may be safely said that unanimity prevailed exclusively. The missionaries become individuals within the convention. They are delegates to all Convention sessions. The Japanese insisted that there be missionary representation on the Executive Board and on departmental committees. Therefore the missionaries make two nominations for each office to be filled by a missionary, and the Convention elects by ballot. In other words, the Japanese (largely) now. choose the missionaries they wish to be on the roster of Convention representative~. The call, designation and re-call of missionaries, the control of work, requests to the Boards for funds. and allotment of such funds, are entirely in the hands of the East Japan Baptist Convention. The japan Baptist Mission has become the East Japan Baptist Missionary Group. This Group still retains general supervision over the work of the Woman's Society. With this exception, however. the Missionary Group has responsibility only for problems affecting the missionaries personally and for the care of missionary residences. With the inauguration of this new Convention, seven Depart­ ments are set up: Evangelistic, Educational, Social, Woman's, Christian Workers' Benefit, Publishing, Financial. Each Depart­ ment head isa member of the Executive Board, which is the ad interim body of administration. It has a total of twelve members (nine Japanese and three missionaries, of whom one is a woman); these are chosen from nominations made by the four Associations of the Convention. The Executive Board is respon§ible to the Convention and the Convention only. It obtains its working budget from the churches in Japan and the two Foreign Mission Societies of the Northern Baptist Convention in the U. S. A., but it is free to inaugurate work plans without foreign direction. The missionary is become a servant of the Japanese Convention. A group of women. Torno no Kwai. or Friends Club (connected with Mrs. Hani's School in TokYO), have just opened a Daily Living School in Morioka.