Okinawa Christian Gospel
Encyclopedia
The Okinawa Christian Gospel is an independent Japanese
church founded by Nakahara Masao (仲原正夫) in 1977. Nakahara Masao was born in the town of Itoman on the main island of Okinawa in 1948. His father died when he was still a young child and he grew up in reather difficult circumstances. Following high school he moved to Kyoto
and enrolled in a professional school in order to obtain credentials as a radiologist. It was while he was in Kyoto that he began to attend services at a Plymouth Brethren
Church. Within three months he converted to the Christian faith and received baptism
. Nakahara returned to Okinawa to work as a radiologist in a local hospital. In 1977 an experience of divine healing
and revelation from God led him to resign from his position as an X-ray
technician to devote the remainder of his life to evangelistic work. His independent Christian fellowship grew rapidly and in less than twenty years had six branch churches, two mission outreach centers, and a membership of approximately 1,500 . the movement also maintains several residences to care for individuals who are troubled by various spiritual and psychological problems. This is a charismatic movement
in which the practices of speaking in tongues, prophecy
, healing
, and exorcism
play a central role.
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 Nakahara Masao (仲原正夫) in 1977. Nakahara Masao was born in the town of Itoman on the main island of Okinawa in 1948. His father died when he was still a young child and he grew up in reather difficult circumstances. Following high school he moved 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:...
and enrolled in a professional school in order to obtain credentials as a radiologist. It was while he was in Kyoto that he began to attend services at a Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
Church. Within three months he converted to the Christian faith and received 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...
. Nakahara returned to Okinawa to work as a radiologist in a local hospital. In 1977 an experience of divine healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
and revelation from God led him to resign from his position as an X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
technician to devote the remainder of his life to evangelistic work. His independent Christian fellowship grew rapidly and in less than twenty years had six branch churches, two mission outreach centers, and a membership of approximately 1,500 . the movement also maintains several residences to care for individuals who are troubled by various spiritual and psychological problems. This is a charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
in which the practices of speaking in tongues, prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
, and exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
play a central role.