David Tsugio Tsutada
Encyclopedia
David Tsugio Tsutada known as "The John Wesley
of Japan," was the founder of the Immanuel General Mission
(Immaneru Sogo Dendo Dan), an indigenous
Japanese holiness
denomination
founded on 21 October 1945 in Tokyo, Japan.
. After studying at Anglo-Chinese School
(ACS) in Singapore, Tsutada completed high school in Japan. After graduation he studied law at the University of Cambridge
. He subsequently graduated from the University of London
. Despite his academic success, Tsutada believed he was called to become a preacher, and so terminated his legal studies and returned to Japan to attend Bible College. Prior to graduation, his college president chose a Christian woman, Nobuko, for him to marry. Tsutada was effective in reaching the poor and marginalised of Tokyo
, resulting in several conversions to Christianity. David and Nobuko had five children: John Makoto, Mary Migiwa, Joshua Tadashi, and twins Grace Midorino
and Margaret Makiba.
At the outbreak of World War II, Tsutada refused to erect a Japanese flag in front of his church and bow deeply to the Emperor in the direction of the imperial palace, saying "only God in heaven is divine. We worship Him alone". On 26 June 1942, Tsutada was arrested, along with about 130 others who likewise refused to comply with the regulation. After two years in solitary confinement in Sugamo Prison
, Tsutada was convicted, but released on probation. After the war ended, Tsutada decided to build a church in Tokyo, naming it "Immanuel" because "You, O God, are with us, just as you were in the cell with me." The Immanuel General Mission was organised on 21 October 1945 in Tokyo.
In 1949 Tsutada founded the Immanuel Bible Training College in Urawa
, a city 30 kilometres north of central Tokyo, and became its first president.
Tsutada died on 25 July 1971.
John's brothers and sisters actively supported the Mission and together, continued to serve the Lord in Japan and elsewhere. Mary, a fine scholar, enrolled at the BTC, married her brother's friend Benjamin Saoshiro, but died prematurely, but not before her son, Ken, became a Christian. Benjamin became pastor, teacher, translator of songs and books from English to Japanese and took charge of the missionaries from Immanuel Church.
Joshua, the third sibling, after graduation from Rikkyo University
, studied at BTC, then at Yeotmal Union Biblical Seminary in India where, after graduation, he stayed on as registrar and preached during the weekends for a total of 14 years. Returning to Japan he pastored a church in Kyūshū
, and after his brother John became Chairman of Education, Joshua succeeded him as President of the Bible Training College. He serves also as Chairman of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia.
Grace and Margaret both studied at BTC and alternated pastoring and looking after their mother. Margaret went on to do pastoral work not far from Tokyo, and later was sent to begin a church at Beppu. Eventually, her work led her to marrying Benjamin Saoshiro in 1988.
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
of Japan," was the founder of the Immanuel General Mission
Immanuel General Mission
The Immanuel General Mission is an indigenous Japanese holiness denomination founded on 21 October 1945 in Tokyo, Japan by David Tsugio Tsutada , ""The John Wesley of Japan." It is a member of the Japan Evangelical Association .-History: RONPAUL 2012 RONPAUL 2012 RONPAUL 2012 RONPAUL 2012 RONPAUL...
(Immaneru Sogo Dendo Dan), an indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
Japanese holiness
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
denomination
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
founded on 21 October 1945 in Tokyo, Japan.
Biographical Details
David Tsugio Tsutada was the second son of Kenri "Henry" Tsutada, a Japanese Methodist dentist of SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. After studying at Anglo-Chinese School
Anglo-Chinese School
The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
(ACS) in Singapore, Tsutada completed high school in Japan. After graduation he studied law at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. He subsequently graduated from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. Despite his academic success, Tsutada believed he was called to become a preacher, and so terminated his legal studies and returned to Japan to attend Bible College. Prior to graduation, his college president chose a Christian woman, Nobuko, for him to marry. Tsutada was effective in reaching the poor and marginalised of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, resulting in several conversions to Christianity. David and Nobuko had five children: John Makoto, Mary Migiwa, Joshua Tadashi, and twins Grace Midorino
Grace Tsutada
Grace Midorino Tsutada is the daughter of David Tsugio Tsutada, a teacher and a missionary at large for the Immanuel General Mission ....
and Margaret Makiba.
At the outbreak of World War II, Tsutada refused to erect a Japanese flag in front of his church and bow deeply to the Emperor in the direction of the imperial palace, saying "only God in heaven is divine. We worship Him alone". On 26 June 1942, Tsutada was arrested, along with about 130 others who likewise refused to comply with the regulation. After two years in solitary confinement in Sugamo Prison
Sugamo Prison
Sugamo Prison was located in the district of Ikebukuro, which is now part of the Toshima ward of Tokyo, Japan-History:...
, Tsutada was convicted, but released on probation. After the war ended, Tsutada decided to build a church in Tokyo, naming it "Immanuel" because "You, O God, are with us, just as you were in the cell with me." The Immanuel General Mission was organised on 21 October 1945 in Tokyo.
In 1949 Tsutada founded the Immanuel Bible Training College in Urawa
Urawa
is a place name and a family name in Japan.*Urawa as a place name can refer to:** Urawa-ku, Saitama is a ward of Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.** Urawa, Saitama was a city and its area is now Urawa, Minami, Nishi and Sakura wards of Saitama City....
, a city 30 kilometres north of central Tokyo, and became its first president.
Tsutada died on 25 July 1971.
Legacy
John, his eldest son, took over as President of the Bible Training College (BTC), Pastor of the Tokyo Central Church and the head of the Tsutada family. John's eight children went into full-time Christian work as staff members of the Tokyo Central Church, missionaries overseas, and one of them in medical work.John's brothers and sisters actively supported the Mission and together, continued to serve the Lord in Japan and elsewhere. Mary, a fine scholar, enrolled at the BTC, married her brother's friend Benjamin Saoshiro, but died prematurely, but not before her son, Ken, became a Christian. Benjamin became pastor, teacher, translator of songs and books from English to Japanese and took charge of the missionaries from Immanuel Church.
Joshua, the third sibling, after graduation from Rikkyo University
Rikkyo University
, also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, based on Christian precepts, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama.It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto -History:...
, studied at BTC, then at Yeotmal Union Biblical Seminary in India where, after graduation, he stayed on as registrar and preached during the weekends for a total of 14 years. Returning to Japan he pastored a church in Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, and after his brother John became Chairman of Education, Joshua succeeded him as President of the Bible Training College. He serves also as Chairman of the Evangelical Fellowship of Asia.
Grace and Margaret both studied at BTC and alternated pastoring and looking after their mother. Margaret went on to do pastoral work not far from Tokyo, and later was sent to begin a church at Beppu. Eventually, her work led her to marrying Benjamin Saoshiro in 1988.
Sources and Further Reading
- Griffiths, Michael. Lambs Dancing with Wolves: A Manual for Christian Workers Overseas. Kregel, 2001. See page 160 regarding Tsutada.
- Johnson, Edna Kimery. The House of Tsutada: The Little Man with a Big God. (Family Missionary Series). Wesley Press, 1988.
- Jones, Charles Edwin. The Wesleyan Holiness Movement: A Comprehensive Guide. 2 vols. (ATLA Bibliography Series). Rev. ed. Scarecrow Press, 2005. See page 580.
- Keyes, Lawrence E. The Last Age of Missions: A Study of Third World Missionary Societies. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 1983. See page 100 regarding IGM and David Tsutada.
- Lau, Earnest. "The House of Tsutada." Methodist Message (Singapore) (June 2004).
- Nakada, Bishop Juji. Japan in the Bible. Trans. David T. Tsutada. Oriental Missionary Society, Japan Holiness Church Publishing Department, 1933.
- Saoshiro, Isaac Teruo and Tadashi Noda, eds. Immanuel Wesleyan Federation: Experiment in Mission Partnership. Japan, 2004. Written on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of IWF, a cooperative mission organization made up of Immanuel General Mission, based in Japan, and the Japanese offices of World Gospel MissionWorld Gospel MissionThe World Gospel Mission is an interdenominational Christian holiness missionary agency headquartered in Marion, Indiana, United States. From its inception, WGM has been aligned with the Wesleyan Holiness tradition of Protestantism...
and Wesleyan World Mission. - Sigsworth, John Wilkins. World-changers: Karl Marx and John Wesley. Easingwold Publications, 1982. See page 237 regarding Tsutada. Identifies him as A Japanese Wesleyan Methodist pastor and scholar.
- Trachsel, Laura. Kindled Fires in Asia. Marion, IN: World Gospel Mission, 1960.
- Tsutada, David T. Joy Overflowing. Trans. Moon Kyung Cho. Seoul: Korean Nazarene Publishing House, 1992. Korean language.
- Tsutada, David T. Life Sanctified. Trans. Moon Kyung Cho. Seoul: Christian Literature Crusade, 1991. Korean language.
- Tsutada, David Tsugio. 20 Years Retrospect of Immanuel General Mission in Japan. [Inmanueru nijū-nenshi: sōsetsu yori no kaisō, 1945-1965]. Tokyo, Japan: Immanuel General Mission in Japan, 1965. Text is in Japanese.
- Tsutada, John M. "Obituary: The Life of Dr. David T. Tsutada." (1971)
- Tsutada, Tsugio. Tsutada Tsugio zenshū. Immanuel Sōgō Dendōdan. Inochi no Kotobasha, 1988. ISBN 4264009464.
- World Gospel Mission. Personnel, Progress, Prospects of World Gospel Mission. Marion, IN: World Gospel Mission, 1957.