The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Japan celebrated their 120th anniversary this year, and the status of the church does not fall behind other Protestant churches. However, regular members who attend the church are still few in number when considering the population of Japan. Moreover, the average age of the church members is quite old.
When we think about the future of the church in Japan in that respect, the future looks uncertain and dim. However, God has presented us with a special sign to take away our anxieties and worries: The Setagaya Church located in central Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, opened specifically for young people for the first time in the 120-year history of Japan Adventist Church.
Setagaya Church opened in April 2016 with the slogan “Center for Youth Ministries” with the complete support of the Japan Adventist Church. The senior pastor is Yasuki Aoki, who currently serves as the director of the Youth Ministries Department of Japan Union Conference.
There are two defining goals of Setagay Church: First, to absorb the youth who graduated from Sahmyook schools and to help them to put down roots of faith and settle in the church, and second, to discover youth who have a passion for evangelism, train them as missionaries, and dispatch them for the revival of local churches.
This movement is just beginning, but God will work through this movement for the spiritual revival and future growth of the church in Japan. I hope that amazing revival takes places through the dynamic activities of God’s young people and their new church.
Kim, NakHyung, NSD Youth Director