Kiyoto Nagano worked for a beer company in Sendai, Japan. He was addicted to drinking beer to which he had free access. At 58, he became very sick, landed in a hospital, and was forced to retire. Upon retirement, he and his wife moved, by God’s providence, next door to a Seventh-day Adventist family.
Through their neighbor’s witnessing efforts, Kiyoto’s wife, Seiko, was led through a series of miracles to learn about our beliefs. After she was converted, she realized that her prayers for divorce were wrong, and instead, she started praying for the salvation of her husband. Seiko was elated that she had found a church that believed in the evils of alcohol, and she insisted that Kiyoto join her in church. Because of his illness, he was impressed to obey his wife, had Bible studies and was baptized.
After becoming a church member for a year, he was called by the Lord to active ministry—a friendship ministry called the Adult Members’ Association, with the target of reaching non-believing spouses.
In Japan, it is a challenge to win non-believing husbands because of the responsibility they have to tend to the graves of their parents and ancestors. Many think that once they become Christians, they will have to give up doing this, which is furthest from the truth. Now, pastors attempt to explain how we can still fulfill our responsibility as well as be full-fledged Christians.
Now, fourteen years later, the Adult Members’ Association is comprised of four key couples in their community. Their joy is to share their own testimonies, organize social events to draw non-believing spouses, particularly husbands (since they are the greater challenge), into their social circle so they can be reached with the gospel. Besides seeing the joy of baptisms, the group has gone around to other churches to help them get organized in this important task of winning those whom we love the most.
By Sally Lam-Phoon