Kanamori's life-story : $b Told by himself; how the Higher Criticism wrecked a Japanese Christian—and how he came backKanamori, Paul M.
Religion
Kanamori's life-story : $b Told by himself; how the Higher Criticism wrecked a Japanese Christian—and how he came back
Kanamori, Paul M.
Kanamori, Paul M., 1857-1945
When I am engaged in an evangelistic campaign in any one place for
several nights, sometimes a week or two at a time, I repeat this same
sermon night after night. I tell my congregation each time that I am
going to preach this same sermon every night: “Therefore you who have
heard it to-night need not come again. Your part now is to decide
whether you will accept or reject this offer of salvation through Jesus
Christ. But in this place there are many people who have never yet
heard this Gospel message. Perhaps such may be found in your own homes,
or among your own friends. Why can’t you send them, or bring them here
tomorrow night, and let them also have the opportunity of hearing
the Gospel? And if you don’t wish to stay, you may go back, leaving
your friends.” Thus I change my congregation every night, instead of
changing my sermon, which amounts to the same thing. I need not be
troubled about getting a new audience every night, since I have sixty
millions yet to preach to.
However, though I preach the same sermon, I usually have large
congregations. I do not preach now in the churches. Our church
buildings are too small to hold the large crowds which come every night
to hear this one sermon. I am obliged everywhere to rent theaters for
my meeting places. The largest ones hold from three to four thousand,
and they are packed every night.
Since the fall of 1915 I have conducted evangelistic campaigns in all
parts of Japan, and also among the Japanese in the island of Hawaii,
and on the Pacific coast of America. I will give you here the exact
figures of these campaigns, by which you can judge for yourselves the
present situation of Christianity in Japan.
PACIFIC COAST CAMPAIGN
_From September, 1915, to February, 1916, Five months_
Places visited 64
Evangelistic meetings held 142
Churches which took part in campaign 67
Denominations or missions co-operating 9
Total attendance 30,000
Number of decisions for Christ 2,400
CAMPAIGN IN JAPAN PROPER
_From September, 1916, to June, 1919, Thirty-three months_
Cities and towns visited 204
Evangelistic meetings held 577
Churches which took part in the campaign 404
Denominations or missions co-operating 23
Total Attendance 270,000
Number of decisions for Christ 43,370
HAWAIIAN CAMPAIGN
_From July, 1919, to October, 1919, Three months_
Places visited 32
Evangelistic meetings held 82
Churches which took part in the campaign 18
Denominations co-operating 3
Total attendance 10,000
Number of decisions for Christ 2,080
SECOND PACIFIC COAST CAMPAIGN
_October, 1919, Half a month_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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