The Relationship Between English Speaking Pastors
and Japanese Speaking Pastors
2 Timothy 3:10-17

3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 3:11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra-what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 3:13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 3:14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:10-17)

I was asked to talk about the relationship between English speaking pastors and Japanese speaking pastors. Since I have only seven year experience in the Conference, and Pastor Brian is only pastor whom I worked together as a co-workder. I don't think either Pastor Brian is a typical English speaking pastor nor I am a typical Japanese speaking pastor. Both are unique. It's hard to say the relationship between English speaking pastors and Japanese speaking pastors in general.

I have worked with American and Canadian missionaries in Japan. Some of them were Nisei missionaries. Some of them have experienced evacuation camp in Canada like our Nisei ministers did here in the United States. I did not feel any frustration in working with them. Because they could speak Japanese quite well, and had clear vision to build up God's church in Japan. And we had clear leadership - followership relationship. In some areas the missionaries were bosses of local pastors, but in some areas the pastors were bosses. I was under the leadership of the missionaries in the work of a Bible school and Bible camp, but I took leadership over the missionaries in a church building project and a planting project.

However, in our Conference I encountered a unique situation. Each of the most churches has an English speaking pastor and a Japanese speaking pastor. And both are senior pastor. Though the numbers of the congregation or financial power may affect the leadership, both pastors are equal in the leadership in the most case. In the most case this system may work well, but it is very vulnerable because it depends on the each pastor's willingness for cooperative work. If both pastors have the same spirit and vision, the church will grow. Otherwise, one pastor depends on the others' sacrifice, and the other pastor will feel frustrations. Once a member told me, "We are like a ship. Pastors are the captains of the ship. If each wants to go different goal, the ship won't move on. Just go around on the same point. The ship may sink into the water." I hope that the San Diego Church may not be a sinking ship, but I take the words seriously.

I've heard that keeping the traditions of the Holiness Conference is too heavy a burden for some young English speaking pastors. They might say that the gospel message is not sticking the heritage of the Conference nor keeping Japanese culture. I can understand how they feel. Like Nisei pastors said, "Leave us as we are." to Issei pastors, now young pastors say the same thing to Nisei pastors? Today is the day of tolerance. Young ministers are very flexible to anything. They accept everything. They are not interested in the theological discussions. They are not interested in the doctrines, standards, heritage, and history of the church that they belong to. They are interested in the invisible God's Kingdom rather than visible local church. They think that they can keep pure truth by refusing any organizational structures. This is the story that I've heard. I'm not sure that this story is true or not.

I believe in the invisible and visible church. God gave us His truth. We keep and bring it by the visible structures. We cannot replace the gospel with our own doctrine, heritage, history, or culture. But we cannot deny the doctrine, heritage, and history. If we loose the visible container, we may loose invisible truth. Most of our ministries are not theoretical, but practical. If we deny the past, we cannot have the future. The people who do not like the traditional things may boast that they are not influenced by anything. But they may be influenced by today's secularism, pluralism, and culture. Church is a ship. Water is the world. Church should move on water. We should have the wisdom to read the tide, trend, or stream. But water should not come into the ship. We should influence the world. We should not be influenced by the world. The church that takes the outside in will loose God's power, but the church that take inside out will shine as the light of the world.

It may be important for both English speaking pastors and Japanese speaking pastors to understand each other. But I believe that we can work together when both understand the common ground of us. It's good to recognize and accept the different or diversity. But it's great to put our eyes on the same faith, love, and hope. Apostle Paul was enough tolerant to accept diversity in cultures. But he emphasized the unity at the same time. In Ephesians, he expressed the unity of Christian saying, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (4:4-6) How Jewish Christians and gentiles Christians were getting along in the church? How the first century Christians were successful in building multi-ethnic churches? It is because they have the unity. Unity in doctrine and practice.

Paul also had the unity with Timothy. Timothy was one of his disciples. But at the moment Paul wrote this letter, Timothy became an independent worker. Paul treated him as his co-worker. Paul and Timothy shared the nine things. They are (1) doctrine, (2) manner of life, (3) purpose, (4) faith, (5) longsuffering, (6) love, (7) perseverance, (8) persecutions, and (9) afflictions. If we, pastors, can share the same things, we can work together more effectively for the Lord, even though each one is unique.

Paul listed "doctrine" at the top of the list. It is most important thing for the unity of Holiness Conference ministers. Our Conference is more than the federation of the churches. We are the Conference because of the uniqueness of the doctrine. And the center of the doctrine is the doctrine of the sanctification. This doctrine made our Conference. We named ourselves after the central truth of the doctrine, "holiness."

I know that all of us have the same interpretation on the doctrine. However, I want to keep the teaching of holiness be a center of our ministries. My favorite verse regarding the teaching of holiness is 1 Peter 1:16. It says, "For it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'" Peter quoted a verse from the Old Testament. He can say "Be holy." directly using his authority as an apostle. But he preferred to quote a verse from the Scripture. He wanted to show this teaching is not from human, but from God, and this teaching is a central theme of the Bible. The phrase, "it is written" is very heavy phrase. It shows the Bible is the final authority for the doctrine and practice. The teaching of holiness is not a mere doctrine. It is the central doctrine of the Bible. If every pastor become more serious to the Bible, we can have the same passion to be holy. We can have unity in the doctrine. We may allow some diversity regarding the teaching of holiness like how much emphasize critical aspects or progressive aspects. If we have the same goal in the pursuing the holiness, we may have the unity in doctrine. The unity of doctrine will appear in the unity of practice.

I know that it is hard to seek the unity in doctoral area. We may have tensions or struggles among us. But I believe such struggle is good for us. It's better than doing nothing. We are discussing on the counterfeit revival issue among the Japanese speaking pastors. It's risky. Every has the different perspective about the issue. We may be not able to reach the agreement. The discussion may cause some troubles. But it's better to struggle in the discussion than just leave each pastor alone. I believe that we can reach more solid unity after the struggle.

I have other issues to share with you. It is the time to stop my talking. My role is to prime the pump. I hope the good discussion time will follows.

(January 27, 1997 at Ministers Retreat)