Kinki Evangelical Lutheran Church
Encyclopedia
The or KELC is a Lutheran church in Japan
. It currently has approximately 2,759 baptized members in 29 congregations nationwide .
The current president is the Rev Shigeo Sueoka.
. In 1951, missionaries from the Norwegian Missionary Society
(NMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway
(LFCN) established a mission in Japan, primarily in the Kinki region.
On November 3, 1961, 14 congregations planted by the NMS and LFCN organised themselves as the KELC. In 1976, the KELC was accepted as a full member of the Lutheran World Federation
. The KELC was officially recognized as a religious body in 1980 .
. Other Lutheran churches include the Japan Lutheran Church
, the West Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Japan Lutheran Brethren Church, the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church and the Fellowship Deaconry Evangelical Church (Marburger Mission).
Cooperation among the various Lutheran churches in Japan is common, particularly with respect to outreach ministries. Church planting plans are mutually shared in order to avoid duplications. Most of the Lutheran churches have also joined together to form the , which publishes Christian books and materials; one notable endeavor being in the publication of a common Lutheran hymnal .
The KELC is also a full member of the Lutheran World Federation
and is cooperates with the Norwegian Missionary Society
and the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway Japan Mission.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It currently has approximately 2,759 baptized members in 29 congregations nationwide .
The current president is the Rev Shigeo Sueoka.
History
The KELC traces its history to the eviction of foreign Christian missionaries from mainland China in 1950s after the establishment of the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. In 1951, missionaries from the Norwegian Missionary Society
Norwegian Missionary Society
The Norwegian Missionary Society is a Norwegian missionary organization.It was started by a group of approx 180 people in the town of Stavanger in Norway in August 1842. The goal was to spread the Christian religion to other peoples, mainly in Africa...
(NMS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway
Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway
The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church, or the Free Church as it is commonly known, is a nationwide Lutheran church in Norway consisting of 81 congregations and 21,817 baptized members. It was founded in 1877 in Moss. It should not be confused with the Church of Norway, though both churches are...
(LFCN) established a mission in Japan, primarily in the Kinki region.
On November 3, 1961, 14 congregations planted by the NMS and LFCN organised themselves as the KELC. In 1976, the KELC was accepted as a full member of the Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
. The KELC was officially recognized as a religious body in 1980 .
Congregations by prefectures
- Hyōgo PrefectureHyogo Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
- Congregations in the cities of AmagasakiAmagasaki, Hyogois an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1916. Its population is around 460,000, below its peak of over 554,000 in 1971.-History:...
, KawanishiKawanishi, Hyogois a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the northwestern part of the Kansai Region of Japan, about 5 km north of Osaka Itami Airport. It is bordered on the west by Inagawa River.-History:...
, KobeKobe, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, SandaSanda, Hyogois a city located in Hyōgo, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 113,585 and the density of 540 persons per km². The total area is 210.22 km².The city was founded on July 1, 1958.-History:...
and TakarazukaTakarazuka, Hyogois a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.- Geography :Takarazuka is nestled between the Rokko Range to the west and Nagao Range to the north with the Muko River running through the center of the city....
- Osaka PrefectureOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
- Congregations in the cities of HannanHannan, Osakais a city located in Osaka, Japan. Hannan is bordered by Sennan city to the northeast and Misaki-chō to the west. It is the location of Pichi-pichi beach, a locally famous public park and beach. It is the southernmost city in Osaka prefecture, being closer in distance to Wakayama city than to Osaka...
, IzumisanoIzumisano, Osakais a city located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 100,022 and the density of 1,820 persons per km². The total area is 55.03 km².The city is home to northern portion of Kansai International Airport...
, OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, SakaiSakai, Osakais a city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of the town of Mihara, from Minamikawachi District, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in...
, and YaoYao, Osakais a city in Osaka, Japan.As of 2009, the city has an estimated population of 271,454 and the density of 6,510 persons per km². The total area is 41.71 km².Yao is home to a general aviation airport, Yao Airport.The city was founded on April 1, 1948....
- Wakayama PrefectureWakayama Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :...
- Congregations in the cities of KainanKainan, Wakayamais a city located in Wakayama, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 55,763. The total area is 101.18 km².The city was founded on May 1, 1934.On April 1, 2005 the town of Shimotsu, from Kaisō District, was merged into Kainan....
, and WakayamaWakayama, Wakayamais the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.-Background:Wakayama occupies 4% of the land area and has 40% of Wakayama prefecture's population. The city was founded on April 1, 1889....
as well as the town of MisatoMisato, Wakayamawas a town located in Kaisō District, Wakayama, Japan.On January 1, 2006 Misato was merged with the town of Nokami, also from Kaisō District, to form the new town of Kimino....
- Nara PrefectureNara Prefectureis a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
- Congregations in the cities of NaraNara, Narais the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
, SakuraiSakurai, Narais a city in Nara, Japan.As of 2007, the city had an estimated population of 63,321 with a density of 630.01 persons per km². The total area is 98.92 km².The city was founded on September 1, 1956....
and KashiharaKashihara, Narais a city located in Nara, Japan. It is the second largest city in the prefecture.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 125,547 and the density of 3,176.79 persons per km². The total area is 39.52 km²....
- Mie PrefectureMie Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
- Congregations in the cities of ShimaShima, Mieis a city located in Mie Prefecture, on the island of Honshu, Japan.The city was formed on October 1, 2004, by the merger of all five towns from Shima District, which was dissolved by the merger....
, and TsuTsu, Mieis the capital of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The city of Tsu is located on Ise Bay, east of the city. Tsu is bounded to the north by Suzuka and Kameyama; to the west by Iga, Nabari, and Nara Prefecture; and to the south by Matsuzaka city.-History:...
Ministries
Some KELC local congregations operate kindergartens and nursery schools. The KELC also sponsors the Kobe Lutheran Theological Seminary together with the West Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church.Affiliations & cooperation
The work of Lutheran missionaries resulted in the establishment of five major Lutheran church bodies and a number of smaller ones, with a total membership of approximately 30,000. The largest of these, with about 20,000 members, is the Japan Evangelical Lutheran ChurchJapan Evangelical Lutheran Church
The or JELC is a Lutheran church in Japan. It currently has approximately 21,990 baptized members in 122 congregations nationwide.The current president of the JELC is the Rev Sumiyuki Watanabe.-Early history:...
. Other Lutheran churches include the Japan Lutheran Church
Japan Lutheran Church
The or NRK is a Confessional Lutheran denomination in Japan. It currently has approximately 2,645 baptized members in 35 congregations nationwide.The current president of the NRK is the Rev...
, the West Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Japan Lutheran Brethren Church, the Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church and the Fellowship Deaconry Evangelical Church (Marburger Mission).
Cooperation among the various Lutheran churches in Japan is common, particularly with respect to outreach ministries. Church planting plans are mutually shared in order to avoid duplications. Most of the Lutheran churches have also joined together to form the , which publishes Christian books and materials; one notable endeavor being in the publication of a common Lutheran hymnal .
The KELC is also a full member of the Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Federation
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
and is cooperates with the Norwegian Missionary Society
Norwegian Missionary Society
The Norwegian Missionary Society is a Norwegian missionary organization.It was started by a group of approx 180 people in the town of Stavanger in Norway in August 1842. The goal was to spread the Christian religion to other peoples, mainly in Africa...
and the Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway Japan Mission.