Location: Mukonoso, Amagasaki, Japan

Presbytery: Japan

Organization: 1990

Members: 22 baptized; 16 communicant

Pastor: Hiroyuki Kanamori, installed 2001

Mukonoso RPC began as a mission station by Rev. and Mrs. Gene Spear in 1978. This was after they left their first church, Okamoto Covenant RP Church, with the installation of Pastor Shigeru Takiura. At that time some members of Okamoto Covenant Church came with the Spears to Mukonoso to help in church planting. Sabbath school was one of the ways the church grew. Also many young seekers came to the church and were exposed to the gospel. In the fullness of time, more than 30 people came to worship God.

In 1990, the church became established with the installation of Rev. Spear as pastor and Mr. Norihide Komuro as an elder. In 1995 Mr. Yoichiro Fukuya was also installed as an elder. In June 2001 Rev. and Mrs. Spear retired and returned to the U.S. after 46 years of faithful work in Japan. That October, Hiroyuki Kanamori was installed as a pastor of Mukonoso RP Church. We now have one teaching elder and one ruling elder, Mr. Yoichiro Fukuya, but no deacons.

Our evangelistic work is like pushing a curtain. You do not sense much concrete reaction. It is very sad that you do not see any positive reaction to the gospel. The Japanese are culturally and religiously very different from Western people. Nevertheless, these differences make us grow in patience and faith in God. It takes a much longer time for a Japanese person to understand the teachings of the Bible. One RP church member in Japan took 40 years to believe in Jesus. We have to believe in the power of the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. It takes a long time, but surely God is working in our evangelistic efforts.

Although Mukonoso RPC is very small, the ratio of committed workers is very high. We cannot publish the name of one member, because she is working for the Chinese Christians. Another member, Yuko Shiotsu, is preparing an application to be a worker for Wycliffe Bible Translation Society, after many years of faithful and prayerful preparation. Yasuko Kanamori is in training at a counseling center after graduating from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in the U.S. Also, Kunio Hase is expecting to graduate from RPTS this coming May. He desires to serve Mukonoso RP Church.

Our ministry programs are Sabbath school, Sunday worship service, and a prayer meeting and discussion time after the lunch every third Sabbath day. Mrs. Fukuya also occasionally offers a short Bible class for newcomers and seekers. Tuesdays focus on pastoral visitation for church members, seekers and newcomers. A Bible study and prayer meeting gathers on Wednesday evenings. On the second and fourth Thursday of each month the church holds a Bible study for seekers. Lectures at Kobe Theological Hall are held for three hours per week on the topics of Hebrews 1 and 2, apologetics, and Old Testament exegesis.

After the transfer of the pastorate of Mukonoso from Rev. Spear to Pastor Kanamori, there were some problems that hurt all the church members. Some of the members left the church. As we kept worshiping God together with humbled hearts and prayer for His mercy, He has been faithful and rebuilt the love and trust among us. We believe that God gives us an opportunity to learn the love of God and live that love for others. We are expecting that more positive things will appear through the spiritual unity of our church.

Prayer Requests

There are three or four serious seekers who have some connection with the Bible study. Please pray for them to confess their faith in Christ.

Pray for wisdom to find a good path for evangelism efforts. We are planning to start an after-school tutoring program. The idea is to help students with their studies, while at the same time giving them religious education. We hope that this opens the way for sharing the gospel not only to the students but also to their parents.