For more than 1,200 years, people have flocked to Shikoku, Japan, for a “spiritual journey.” It’s well-known pilgrimage that stops in 88 Buddhist temples and spans roughly 870 miles of the island.
On May 4–5, Will Graham will be sharing the only source of true peace, Jesus Christ, with residents on Japan’s fourth largest island. And in a nation where only 2% of people believe the Gospel, it’s a message that’s desperately needed.
Pastors in Shikoku recognise this great spiritual need in their communities, and more than 60 churches have been preparing for Graham’s upcoming Celebration of Love and Hope in Shikoku.
This won’t be his first outreach in Japan. In previous years, he has held evangelistic events in Tokyo, Fukushima, and Fukuoka.
In fact, the Graham family has a long history of sharing God’s love in Japan. Will Graham’s grandfather, Billy Graham, held Crusades in four cities, and his father, Franklin, has preached in five cities.
United for Christ
Working together to make this event possible has united churches and pastors across denominations and regions, encouraging fellowship and underscoring their common purpose of sharing the Gospel.
“Through the various committees, pre-Celebration events, instructor training seminars, and church visits, I have learned much from the pastors and laypeople I have met,” said Pastor Kiyoshi Hosoya from Ehime Megumi Church. “I have witnessed first hand that living witnesses of God who embody the kingdom of God are present throughout Shikoku.”
Ahead of the Celebration, pastors have been hosting the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Christian Life and Witness Course (CLWC), which teaches believers how to share their faith.
Teruyoshi Oka, a pastor at Matsuyama Gospel Centre, said the training points participants back to the foundation of evangelism—Scripture.
“As I teach the Christian Life and Witness Course, I myself have been led back to the heart of the Gospel,” he said. “Brothers and sisters who once felt anxious and unsure about how to share their faith have been transformed through this training, gaining a desire to share the Gospel and to be used by God.”
Churches are celebrating the ways God has been working in this season of preparation.
“There have even been cases where nonbelievers joined [CLWC] out of interest and, through the learning process, were led to make a decision of faith,” said Pastor Oka.
Additionally, local congregations are using a BGEA initiative called I Am Andrew to intentionally reach out to those who don’t yet know Christ. Named for the disciple in the Bible who invited his brother to meet Jesus, the evangelistic tool includes cards where participants can write down the names of those they want to pray for, spend time with, and invite to the upcoming event.
“From my heart, I pray that those whose names are written on these cards will attend the main Celebration in May, hear the Gospel, and encounter Jesus,” said Hikaru Yasui, a pastor at Matsuyama Kuwabara Christ Church.
While the church may be small in Shikoku, they are praying fervently for their neighbours—and eagerly waiting to see how God will answer.
“What our family is learning through this Celebration is to entrust everything to God’s sovereignty. Though we are a small house church, we want to give God the fullest thanks for each and every thing that He is bringing about,” said Yoko Nakagawa, a pastor at Manna Myrtus. “We do not know what God will do from here on, but we want to trust Him, wait with gratitude, and hope expectantly.”
Would you join us in praying that hearts will be open to the Gospel in Shikoku? Ask God to use this outreach to bring many more into His kingdom. Also, pray for strength and boldness for Christians as they spend the next few weeks inviting loved ones.