Enduring by His Grace: An Updated History of the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church in Japan from 1957 Through 2019

Abstract

In 1982 the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod along with the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church, the WELS’ sister synod in Japan, celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of mission work in Japan. A history of the Wisconsin Synod’s work in Japan up to 1982 was produced between 1982 and 1985. This paper is an update of that history. The first major section of the paper treats the years of 1957 to 1982 as a summary of secondary resources, mainly the previously mentioned anniversary history. The years 1983 to 2019 are treated using primary sources including interviews, surveys, and documents provided by the LECC and WELS missionaries. A brief analysis of challenges and opportunities for mission work in Japan as experienced by both expatriate missionaries and native Japanese Christians follows, which concludes that the LECC is equipped to endure the challenges present in Japan as a mission field today. The paper as a whole concludes with suggested topics for further research.