The History of JCCT
*Detailed information about "How we started JCCT", please take a look at the following file.
| jcct history detail.pdf |
Here are some words from Dr. Yanagihashi, Chairman, JCCT Board of Deacons, on the beginnings and development of JCCT.
December 1996 – February 2010
There was an air of expectancy as the koinonia groups grew, under the leadership of Reiko Yoshitani, an excitement that energized the groups. Our Lord led the group in December 1996 to form a church, and the name, Japanese Christian Community of Tucson (JCCT), was adopted. Interestingly, the word “church” was not chosen; instead, the word “community” was selected, reflecting the koinonia beginnings of the groups. It was, to be sure, a “community” of Christians. A place to meet was found at the rented facilities of the Pima County Medical Society. JCCT was formally established!
The next major step was a full-time minister. The request was made to the Holiness Conference. In the interim before the new pastor was chosen, a number of ministers from other churches in the Conference came to Tucson and provided worship service messages and conducted the sacraments, such as communion and baptism. Just as important, was the role of the lay leaders who faithfully participated in the worship services and provided leadership in the various groups. The Holy Spirit moved marvelously through these leaders.
The Executive Council and Ministerial Appointment Committee (MAC) of the Conference finally appointed Rev. Ichibei Honda. Rev. Honda began his ministry in Tucson in September 2000 and served until August 2005.
JCCT is a unique bilingual ministry. Rev. Honda gave his messages in Japanese and English. Since he was gifted and fluent in both languages, he would say a few sentences in Japanese and then repeat the same sentences in English. A good percentage of those in attendance were Japanese university students. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the number of Japanese students coming to the university began to decline. As a result, a smaller number of students came to JCCT functions. An office was rented at the First United Methodist Church, which was near the campus, to attract and to increase contacts with the students. The room was to serve as a meeting place where students could socialize and engage in Bible studies. It was also used as an office for Rev. Honda.
With the announcement of Rev. Honda’s departure, the process of finding his successor began. The Executive Council and the MAC chose In Hyun, a Japanese Korean, living in Japan, who had recently graduated from Tokyo Biblical Seminary. Since he was a young man called to his first assignment, Rev. Tetsuo Kagiwada of the San Fernando Valley Holiness Church was appointed to be his mentor. There was then a protracted delay in obtaining Hyun’s visa due to tightened immigration policies.
JCCT was without a pastor for about seven months. Rev. Kagiwada graciously volunteered to come at least once a month to give the Sunday worship service sermons and to conduct the sacraments. Starting from September 2005, he began to come every Monday and leave the following afternoon. This schedule continued until January. He conducted Bible studies at the rented office and at private homes, and he even allowed for consultation times. Support came from other Conference churches; they sent their ministers to cover some of the Sunday morning worship services. The sermons given by these ministers were usually not translated, but Rev. Kagiwada’s messages were given in Japanese and in English, as he was fluent in both languages. The lay leadership covered the remaining Sunday worship services. It was a challenging time, but God provided abundantly, and the church was lifted to a higher level of spiritual growth.
Pastor Hyun was finally able to leave Japan. He spent the first three months at the San Fernando Valley Holiness Church, training under the mentorship of Rev. Kagiwada. The mentorship ended when Pastor Hyun was installed on April 23, 2006 and gave his first sermon the following Sunday. Four months later, Pastor Hyun went to Japan, got married, and returned on September 12 with his bride, Noriko. Three years later, on July 18, 2009, Pastor Hyun was ordained in an impressive ceremony held at JCCT.
Today, the sermons given by Rev. Hyun are in Japanese, and the English translations are simultaneously projected onto a large screen. This arrangement has worked smoothly and has shortened the worship service. Once a month, after worship service, there is a potluck luncheon, and on another Sunday, there is Bible Study in small groups. Occasionally, there are group sharing within the worship service. Therefore, the atmosphere of koinonia still exists in JCCT. Changes continue to take place, but attendance has stabilized. We do look forward to a new phase of spiritual growth!
Dr. Minoru Yanagihashi
February, 2010
