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When Catholic missionary St Francis Xavier came to Japan in 1549, he reportedly said that he had found the world’s best people group. When evangelical missionary Dan Iverson arrived in Japan in 1986, he thought the same thing. But that Japanese “goodness” and dependence on self is opposite to the gospel. The hard work ethic and pressure to succeed, etc, is also behind so much of the epidemic-like depression, hikikomori, suicide, family disfunction, etc. The gospel message that “You are accepted based not on your performance, but in The Performance of Another in your place” is the need of the hour for hurting Japan. This seminar will address how The Gospel of Jesus and the cross particularly addresses the Japanese people at their place of greatest need.

Bio: Dan has served as a church planter in Japan with Mission to the World (PCA) for 27 years. The MTW Tokyo/Chiba team has worked with their Japanese pastor partners to plant a number of growing, reproducing churches in E. Tokyo/Chiba, and now in Tokyo City Center. Dan was the founding pastor for Oyumino Christ Church in Chiba in 1992. The Church has 3 sites and 5 worships each Sunday, over 70 cell groups. Dan also serves as MTW Director for the 6 MTW church planting teams in Japan.