Holy Ecclesia of Jesus
Encyclopedia
The Holy Ecclesia of Jesus also known as the Congregation of Jesus (Japanese
: 聖イエス会, Sei Iesu Kai) is an independent Japanese
church founded by Ōtsuki Takeji
(大槻武二) in 1946. It is the third largest of the Japanese-founded churches.
The Holy Ecclesia of Jesus is a movement aimed at recovering apostolic Christianity and entrusted with a special mission regarding the nation of Israel
in these "last days
." Ōtsuki writes that its authentic mission is not to transmit the doctrine
or theology
of Christianity
, but to manifest the living Christ in our lives. As of 2007, the movement had approximately 5,000 members throughout Japan.
, a private mission school
in Kyoto
. Ōtsuki was attracted to the faith through the evangelistic preaching of Kanamori Michinori during the daily chapel program and went on to receive baptism
. Dissatisfied with Dōshisha's "liberal
and socialistic" form of Christianity, Ōtsuki found his way into the Holiness Church
in 1930.
Ōtsuki completed his theological training at the Holiness Bible Seminary in Tokyo
and engaged in evangelistic work in several locations around Japan
before accepting appointment as a missionary to Manchuria
in 1936.
In 1938, while he was serving as a Holiness missionary in Mukden, Manchuria, Ōtsuki had a "direct encounter with the living Christ," which was a life-transforming experience that was to become the foundation of his independent ministry.
Ōtsuki also recorded specific revelations regarding the salvation of Israel and his future role in the fulfillment of the Bible
's apocalyptic vision.
A charismatic leader, Father Ōtsuki is also said to have performed fantastical miracles while he served in Manchuria. According to Reverend Yamanaka, "When Father Ōtsuki prayed, the twisted spine of a hunchback was straightened. That was the beginning of the miracles. After that, people who couldn’t speak, people who couldn’t stand up on their own legs—many people were cured." When asked about the supposed miracles, Father Ōtsuki Takeji’s son, Ōtsuki Masaru, said that he saw them with his own eyes: "There was never any doubt."
After returning to Japan
in 1942, Ōtsuki Takeji engaged in evangelistic work and led revival meetings in various locations around Japan. In 1946 he received another revelation from the Lord in which he was instructed to establish an independent church to be named the Holy Ecclesia of Jesus. The mission of the church was to recover and spread the Apostolic faith in place of the Westernized version of Christianity that missionaries had planted in Japan. The motto of the church today emphasizes this concern to recover the apostolic faith:
Obedient to these divine instructions, Ōtsuki left the Holiness Church with a small group of disciples and organized the Holy Ecclesia of Jesus. After a brief period based in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture
, Ōtsuki moved the headquarters of the movement to Kyoto
in 1949. This has been the organizational center for a nationwide evangelistic ministry, which has grown to include over hundred churches scattered across the country from Okinawa in the south to Hokkaidō
in the north.
, whose theology was dominated in his later years by eschatological concerns and the idea that Japan was somehow connected to the salvation of Israel. Without denying this influence, Ōtsuki claims that he also received a special revelation concerning the movement's responsibilities toward Israel while he was a missionary in China
. He reports that the Lord instructed him:
Ten years after Ōtsuki received this revelation and began praying fervently for the restoration of Israel, the nation of Israel was reestablished as an independent state. This provided important confirmation for Ōtsuki and his followers at an early stage of this movement's development. This apocalyptic consciousness and the concern for the nation of Israel pervades all aspects of this movement today.
In 1946, Father Ōtsuki Takeji founded Beit Shalom (also known as Japan Christian Friends of Israel), according to what he said were the instructions of God. At the time, he had not met a Jew in his life; indeed, he had to wait until 1962 before he would ever meet an Israeli. Beit Shalom was created as a guest house for Israeli and Jewish visitors to Japan, where they could stay for free for up to three nights. Beit Shalom also holds concerts in the visitors’ honor, presented by the Shachar Choir (Dawn Choir) composed of native Japanese members of the Sei Iesu Kai congregation. The choir sings songs in Hebrew for Israeli guests in order to "express the love of Israel and to promote friendship between Israel and Japan." Beit Shalom also created and runs the Holocaust Education Center in Fukuyama, near Hiroshima. Many members of the Sei Iesu Kai clergy have studied in Israel and speak Hebrew, and Father Ōtsuki himself received the Honorary Fellow of Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1994.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
: 聖イエス会, Sei Iesu Kai) is an independent Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
church founded by Ōtsuki Takeji
Ōtsuki Takeji
Ōtsuki Takeji is the founder of the third largest independent Japanese church, known as the Holy Ecclesia of Jesus . Ōtsuki was born in Ayabe City in 1906, and as a young man converted to Christianity while a student at Dōshisha Middle school, a private mission school in Kyoto...
(大槻武二) in 1946. It is the third largest of the Japanese-founded churches.
The Holy Ecclesia of Jesus is a movement aimed at recovering apostolic Christianity and entrusted with a special mission regarding the nation of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in these "last days
Last Days
Last Days may refer to:* End time, the time period described by the eschatology of various religions-Books:*The Last Days , a 2003 novel by Joel C...
." Ōtsuki writes that its authentic mission is not to transmit the doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
or theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, but to manifest the living Christ in our lives. As of 2007, the movement had approximately 5,000 members throughout Japan.
History
Ōtsuki was born in Ayabe City in 1906, and as a young man converted to Christianity while a student at Dōshisha Middle schoolMiddle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, a private mission school
Mission School
The Mission School is an art movement of the 1990s and 2000s, centered in the Mission District of San Francisco, California.-History and characteristics:...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Ōtsuki was attracted to the faith through the evangelistic preaching of Kanamori Michinori during the daily chapel program and went on to receive baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
. Dissatisfied with Dōshisha's "liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and socialistic" form of Christianity, Ōtsuki found his way into the Holiness Church
Japan Holiness Church
The Japan Holiness Church traces its origins to the early evangelistic work of the Oriental Missionary Society, organized by Juji Nakada and by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cowman in 1901. Nakada had become acquainted with the Cowmans during a period he spent at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago...
in 1930.
Ōtsuki completed his theological training at the Holiness Bible Seminary in 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...
and engaged in evangelistic work in several locations around Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
before accepting appointment as a missionary to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
in 1936.
In 1938, while he was serving as a Holiness missionary in Mukden, Manchuria, Ōtsuki had a "direct encounter with the living Christ," which was a life-transforming experience that was to become the foundation of his independent ministry.
Ōtsuki also recorded specific revelations regarding the salvation of Israel and his future role in the fulfillment of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
's apocalyptic vision.
A charismatic leader, Father Ōtsuki is also said to have performed fantastical miracles while he served in Manchuria. According to Reverend Yamanaka, "When Father Ōtsuki prayed, the twisted spine of a hunchback was straightened. That was the beginning of the miracles. After that, people who couldn’t speak, people who couldn’t stand up on their own legs—many people were cured." When asked about the supposed miracles, Father Ōtsuki Takeji’s son, Ōtsuki Masaru, said that he saw them with his own eyes: "There was never any doubt."
After returning to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in 1942, Ōtsuki Takeji engaged in evangelistic work and led revival meetings in various locations around Japan. In 1946 he received another revelation from the Lord in which he was instructed to establish an independent church to be named the Holy Ecclesia of Jesus. The mission of the church was to recover and spread the Apostolic faith in place of the Westernized version of Christianity that missionaries had planted in Japan. The motto of the church today emphasizes this concern to recover the apostolic faith:
-
- キリスト者はキリストのごとく, 教会は使徒行伝のごとく
- Christians are called to be like Christ,
- and the church to be like the Acts of the Apostles.
Obedient to these divine instructions, Ōtsuki left the Holiness Church with a small group of disciples and organized the Holy Ecclesia of Jesus. After a brief period based in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Hiroshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Hiroshima.- History :The area around Hiroshima was formerly divided into Bingo Province and Aki Province. This location has been a center of trade and culture since the beginning of Japan's recorded...
, Ōtsuki moved the headquarters of the movement to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
in 1949. This has been the organizational center for a nationwide evangelistic ministry, which has grown to include over hundred churches scattered across the country from Okinawa in the south to Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
in the north.
Eschatology and Zionist Orientation
Ōtsuki's concern for the nation of Israel clearly reflects the views of Nakada Jūji, his mentor in the Japan Holiness ChurchJapan Holiness Church
The Japan Holiness Church traces its origins to the early evangelistic work of the Oriental Missionary Society, organized by Juji Nakada and by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cowman in 1901. Nakada had become acquainted with the Cowmans during a period he spent at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago...
, whose theology was dominated in his later years by eschatological concerns and the idea that Japan was somehow connected to the salvation of Israel. Without denying this influence, Ōtsuki claims that he also received a special revelation concerning the movement's responsibilities toward Israel while he was a missionary in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He reports that the Lord instructed him:
- To pray for the restoration of the nation of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
; - To pray for the spiritual renewal of Israel, which is the condition for the return of Christ;
- To pray for the peace of Jerusalem, which is the key to the peace of the world; and
- To pray for the coming of the Messiah of Peace.
Ten years after Ōtsuki received this revelation and began praying fervently for the restoration of Israel, the nation of Israel was reestablished as an independent state. This provided important confirmation for Ōtsuki and his followers at an early stage of this movement's development. This apocalyptic consciousness and the concern for the nation of Israel pervades all aspects of this movement today.
In 1946, Father Ōtsuki Takeji founded Beit Shalom (also known as Japan Christian Friends of Israel), according to what he said were the instructions of God. At the time, he had not met a Jew in his life; indeed, he had to wait until 1962 before he would ever meet an Israeli. Beit Shalom was created as a guest house for Israeli and Jewish visitors to Japan, where they could stay for free for up to three nights. Beit Shalom also holds concerts in the visitors’ honor, presented by the Shachar Choir (Dawn Choir) composed of native Japanese members of the Sei Iesu Kai congregation. The choir sings songs in Hebrew for Israeli guests in order to "express the love of Israel and to promote friendship between Israel and Japan." Beit Shalom also created and runs the Holocaust Education Center in Fukuyama, near Hiroshima. Many members of the Sei Iesu Kai clergy have studied in Israel and speak Hebrew, and Father Ōtsuki himself received the Honorary Fellow of Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1994.