Stop that Witnessing!

“You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.” Acts 22:15, NIV.

In many traditional churches in Japan, evangelism has shifted from proclamation of the gospel out in the everyday world to an invitation to attend the worship service at the church building. The evidence of this shift can be seen in the recent experience of one Japanese believer who wanted to visit a nearby church.

She telephoned a member of the church to ask if it would be all right for her to visit. The member said, “Yes, you can come, but if you join here, you must stop that personal evangelism you are doing. Regular members don’t know the proper way to reach out. The pastor is the only one who knows how to explain how to become a Christian. So if you come here, then you need to bring all of your non-Christian friends here to the church, and let the pastor introduce them to Christ properly.”

While this may not reflect the view of everyone in Japan’s traditional churches, it does reflect the belief and practice of a large number of Japanese believers within the Baptist community. Satan must be rejoicing that so many believers have bought into the lie that only pastors can share the gospel. With more than 125 million Japanese waiting to hear the gospel in Japan alone, every believer in Japan needs to be an active witness for Christ.

Pray that:

Revival will sweep through the churches in Japan, and regular church members will gain an understanding and zeal for sharing the gospel.

Japanese pastors will train and empower their congregations to take the gospel into the marketplaces of Japan.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.