ASIA/PACIFIC
Louis F. Morgan
MORE THAN a century after the Church of God first reached into Asia, this region now has almost four million members in more than nine thousand.
Reaching Behind the Bamboo Curtain
Jennie Brinson had already been baptized with the Holy Spirit and felt called to missions when she joined the Valdosta, Georgia, Church of God in 1910. One day she began speaking in tongues while talking with an immigrant store owner, who informed her she was testifying of Jesus in his native language. This helped spark her desire to take the gospel to other lands.
Jennie married Perrin Roy Rushin in 1911, and they soon traveled to China, on which journey P.R. was baptized with the Holy Spirit. Arriving in Tsinanfu, Shantung, China, in 1914, their witness led other missionaries to receive the Holy Spirit baptism. However, the host mission group where they were staying disapproved, and the Rushins had to relocate.
Their outreach ministered mainly to the poor, including prostitutes, while they operated an orphanage and schools. In time, they reported new converts and healings, but the work was difficult and the numbers were few.
In 1922, Jennie Rushin returned to the United States. At camp meetings and the General Assembly, she appealed for more workers and financial support. She received offerings, but was disappointed that only three workers returned to China with her.
The team conducted outdoor meetings and established three churches by 1923. During one meeting, a drug addict of 28 years was delivered from his addictions. Returning to his hometown, he testified and others returned with him, walking 40 miles through the mountains. Ten believers were baptized in water, and others were baptized with the Holy Spirit.
After the Church of God division in 1923, the Rushins received little finances or communication. They reported less frequently, and by 1927, contact was lost. To help their ministry, they changed their name to McNair after Russians migrated into China, as many Chinese did not embrace the Russians and, because “Rushin” sounded similar, it created difficulty when ministering.
It was not until Paul C. Pitt wrote to J.H. Ingram in 1936 that a known Church of God presence returned to China. Pitt, a Canadian missionary there since 1928, wanted to work with a Pentecostal group after receiving the Holy Spirit baptism. Although no Church of God leader ever met Pitt in person, there was a kindred association through his letters and reports. At the 1937 General Assembly, he was ordained, although unable to attend.
Pitt experienced a successful ministry in China and assimilated himself among the Chinese by wearing their garments and learning their language. In 1939, he testified: “Oh, what a blessing we did receive at our fall meetings! Many confessed their sins…. Tears of joy flowed and the Holy Spirit worked. Some lay like they were slain, on the cold, brick floor. Others leaped for joy. [At the] baptismal service, the Holy Ghost fell on seven. A boy of eleven years I had to take in my arms in the water. He spoke in a most beautiful language. One elderly sister leaped from the water under the power. Oh, the joy our Savior gives us daily! The Holy Spirit fell and forty-six received Him according to Acts 2:4.”
Unfortunately, contact ceased with Pitt during World War II, and the church learned of his death in 1942.
In 1985, Hong Yang became a Christian while studying at a Chinese university. His wife, Esther, recalled, “Through studying English literature and after much persistence, he finally got a copy of the English Bible. Through reading the Word of God, he was touched by the Holy Spirit and saved by the Lord. Later, through the fellowship and discipleship of two American Christian teachers, Drs. Murl and Carolyn Dirksen, he [became] a strong believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.” He then led Esther to the Lord.
After graduation, Yang was permitted to move to the United States to continue his education, after which he and Esther began ministering in Puerto Rico in 1990. They have since taken the gospel to many countries, including Asia.
Jennie Brinson had already been baptized with the Holy Spirit and felt called to missions when she joined the Valdosta, Georgia, Church of God in 1910. One day she began speaking in tongues while talking with an immigrant store owner, who informed her she was testifying of Jesus in his native language. This helped spark her desire to take the gospel to other lands.
Jennie married Perrin Roy Rushin in 1911, and they soon traveled to China, on which journey P.R. was baptized with the Holy Spirit. Arriving in Tsinanfu, Shantung, China, in 1914, their witness led other missionaries to receive the Holy Spirit baptism. However, the host mission group where they were staying disapproved, and the Rushins had to relocate.
Their outreach ministered mainly to the poor, including prostitutes, while they operated an orphanage and schools. In time, they reported new converts and healings, but the work was difficult and the numbers were few.
In 1922, Jennie Rushin returned to the United States. At camp meetings and the General Assembly, she appealed for more workers and financial support. She received offerings, but was disappointed that only three workers returned to China with her.
The team conducted outdoor meetings and established three churches by 1923. During one meeting, a drug addict of 28 years was delivered from his addictions. Returning to his hometown, he testified and others returned with him, walking 40 miles through the mountains. Ten believers were baptized in water, and others were baptized with the Holy Spirit.
After the Church of God division in 1923, the Rushins received little finances or communication. They reported less frequently, and by 1927, contact was lost. To help their ministry, they changed their name to McNair after Russians migrated into China, as many Chinese did not embrace the Russians and, because “Rushin” sounded similar, it created difficulty when ministering.
It was not until Paul C. Pitt wrote to J.H. Ingram in 1936 that a known Church of God presence returned to China. Pitt, a Canadian missionary there since 1928, wanted to work with a Pentecostal group after receiving the Holy Spirit baptism. Although no Church of God leader ever met Pitt in person, there was a kindred association through his letters and reports. At the 1937 General Assembly, he was ordained, although unable to attend.
Pitt experienced a successful ministry in China and assimilated himself among the Chinese by wearing their garments and learning their language. In 1939, he testified: “Oh, what a blessing we did receive at our fall meetings! Many confessed their sins…. Tears of joy flowed and the Holy Spirit worked. Some lay like they were slain, on the cold, brick floor. Others leaped for joy. [At the] baptismal service, the Holy Ghost fell on seven. A boy of eleven years I had to take in my arms in the water. He spoke in a most beautiful language. One elderly sister leaped from the water under the power. Oh, the joy our Savior gives us daily! The Holy Spirit fell and forty-six received Him according to Acts 2:4.”
Unfortunately, contact ceased with Pitt during World War II, and the church learned of his death in 1942.
In 1985, Hong Yang became a Christian while studying at a Chinese university. His wife, Esther, recalled, “Through studying English literature and after much persistence, he finally got a copy of the English Bible. Through reading the Word of God, he was touched by the Holy Spirit and saved by the Lord. Later, through the fellowship and discipleship of two American Christian teachers, Drs. Murl and Carolyn Dirksen, he [became] a strong believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.” He then led Esther to the Lord.
After graduation, Yang was permitted to move to the United States to continue his education, after which he and Esther began ministering in Puerto Rico in 1990. They have since taken the gospel to many countries, including Asia.
Full Gospel Church of God in India
The earliest ministry efforts of the Church of God in India were in the form of financial support to John Manoah, an independent missionary. J.H. Ingram visited Manoah during his “Golden Jubilee Tour” in 1936. During this trip, he also met Robert Cook, an independent missionary who went to India in 1913 as a result of the Azusa Street Revival.
After meeting with Ingram, Cook and the 66 churches he supervised unanimously agreed to join the church, adopting the name Full Gospel Church of God in India. Ingram also received other independent groups into the church while in India.
National ministers took the gospel to different language groups, including Malayalam, Tamil, Teluga, and Hindi. The longest serving national leader was T.M. Varughese, an educator. When teaching the Malayalam language to Cook’s daughter, Blossom, Varughese learned basic Bible doctrines from her. Soon he and his wife followed the Lord in water baptism and received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Cook appointed Varughese as field secretary, a position he held 41 years.
In Varughese’s biography, Douglas LeRoy wrote, “He traveled by ox cart and bicycles to the village churches. He rode all over South India on his two wheeler preaching the gospel. Sometimes he had to cycle 32 miles through the forest to reach preaching stations.” Varughese was even jailed for his loyalty to the ministry. In his later years, he noted, “I love the Church of God, and I want to die as a good soldier, fighting for the sound doctrines which our church teaches and bringing many souls to the Lord.” Varughese mentored countless ministers, helped establish Bible schools and Sunday schools, organized over 300 churches, baptized several thousand converts, and held the record throughout Asia for the most years of unbroken ministry.
The earliest ministry efforts of the Church of God in India were in the form of financial support to John Manoah, an independent missionary. J.H. Ingram visited Manoah during his “Golden Jubilee Tour” in 1936. During this trip, he also met Robert Cook, an independent missionary who went to India in 1913 as a result of the Azusa Street Revival.
After meeting with Ingram, Cook and the 66 churches he supervised unanimously agreed to join the church, adopting the name Full Gospel Church of God in India. Ingram also received other independent groups into the church while in India.
National ministers took the gospel to different language groups, including Malayalam, Tamil, Teluga, and Hindi. The longest serving national leader was T.M. Varughese, an educator. When teaching the Malayalam language to Cook’s daughter, Blossom, Varughese learned basic Bible doctrines from her. Soon he and his wife followed the Lord in water baptism and received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Cook appointed Varughese as field secretary, a position he held 41 years.
In Varughese’s biography, Douglas LeRoy wrote, “He traveled by ox cart and bicycles to the village churches. He rode all over South India on his two wheeler preaching the gospel. Sometimes he had to cycle 32 miles through the forest to reach preaching stations.” Varughese was even jailed for his loyalty to the ministry. In his later years, he noted, “I love the Church of God, and I want to die as a good soldier, fighting for the sound doctrines which our church teaches and bringing many souls to the Lord.” Varughese mentored countless ministers, helped establish Bible schools and Sunday schools, organized over 300 churches, baptized several thousand converts, and held the record throughout Asia for the most years of unbroken ministry.
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Servicemen and School Teachers in Japan
The work in Japan originated among military families. In 1950, Mary Flowers of Pennsylvania joined her husband, Sergeant Henry Flowers, who was stationed in Yokohama. By August, the Evangel reported, “Mrs. Henry Flowers, a Church of God Sunday school teacher, has now joined her soldier husband in Japan, and in the hotel has organized a Sunday school and young people's meeting, with increasing attendance and interest.” When Sergeant Flowers was reassigned to Korea, Mary remained in Japan until she learned her husband had been captured and died. Servicemen, such as Leon Simms and Arthur Shannon, conducted tent services and Sunday schools until they were reassigned.
L.E. and Letha Heil were appointed missionaries to Japan in 1952 and held services in their home in Yokohama. In 1954, Otani San became the first convert, and the first church was set in order with Toshihiko Shimada assigned pastor. Joan Wakeford, a missionary from Durban, South Africa, arrived in 1956, and the Yokohama Bible Institute was started in 1961. One of the first students was Kazumoto Yatsuzuka, who later led the church in Japan.
In Tokyo, Mary Grace Comans, a lay member from Mississippi, arrived in 1959 to teach children of U.S. military personnel. Comans quickly discovered Japanese youth had little interest in Christianity, but wanted to learn English. She conducted English classes in her apartment using the Bible as her textbook. “One of my first students was a young man I met on a train one Sunday morning. I invited him to come, he told his friends, and they invited others,” Comans recalled. Interest grew and soon Comans and others were invited to “teach English” classes at Wasada University and local high schools. As a result of these Bible classes, the Church of God built a church and youth center in Tokyo funded through a 1962 YWEA missions project. Comans shared the gospel in Japan for more than 10 years and later in China by directing plays about Jesus’ birth.
Today, the work in Japan is led by national ministers. The churches give generously to missions and continue to focus on reaching the youth of their country.
The work in Japan originated among military families. In 1950, Mary Flowers of Pennsylvania joined her husband, Sergeant Henry Flowers, who was stationed in Yokohama. By August, the Evangel reported, “Mrs. Henry Flowers, a Church of God Sunday school teacher, has now joined her soldier husband in Japan, and in the hotel has organized a Sunday school and young people's meeting, with increasing attendance and interest.” When Sergeant Flowers was reassigned to Korea, Mary remained in Japan until she learned her husband had been captured and died. Servicemen, such as Leon Simms and Arthur Shannon, conducted tent services and Sunday schools until they were reassigned.
L.E. and Letha Heil were appointed missionaries to Japan in 1952 and held services in their home in Yokohama. In 1954, Otani San became the first convert, and the first church was set in order with Toshihiko Shimada assigned pastor. Joan Wakeford, a missionary from Durban, South Africa, arrived in 1956, and the Yokohama Bible Institute was started in 1961. One of the first students was Kazumoto Yatsuzuka, who later led the church in Japan.
In Tokyo, Mary Grace Comans, a lay member from Mississippi, arrived in 1959 to teach children of U.S. military personnel. Comans quickly discovered Japanese youth had little interest in Christianity, but wanted to learn English. She conducted English classes in her apartment using the Bible as her textbook. “One of my first students was a young man I met on a train one Sunday morning. I invited him to come, he told his friends, and they invited others,” Comans recalled. Interest grew and soon Comans and others were invited to “teach English” classes at Wasada University and local high schools. As a result of these Bible classes, the Church of God built a church and youth center in Tokyo funded through a 1962 YWEA missions project. Comans shared the gospel in Japan for more than 10 years and later in China by directing plays about Jesus’ birth.
Today, the work in Japan is led by national ministers. The churches give generously to missions and continue to focus on reaching the youth of their country.
Working Together to Build the Kingdom
The Church of God is multicultural in many Asian countries. Malaysia has Indian and Chinese congregations, and Australia reaches more than 10 nationalities, including ministry to the indigenous Aborigines. In Hong Kong, our membership is mainly Filipino and part of “Word for the World,” a ministry Gerald Holloway led with churches in many countries. The Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries in Manilla, Philippines, is a major training center preparing students from various ethnicities for ministry throughout Asia.
In Cambodia, the church is building the Kingdom through social ministries, including building an actual city in Andong. When completed, the city had paved streets, underground sewage, a school, and 1,000 new homes provided through People for Care and Learning (PCL), an independent benevolent organization with roots in the Church of God. PCL operates orphanages, English classes, job training, medical clinics, clean water projects, and teaches agricultural skills. Members living in Cambodia, extend the reach of the Church of God there.
The Church of God is multicultural in many Asian countries. Malaysia has Indian and Chinese congregations, and Australia reaches more than 10 nationalities, including ministry to the indigenous Aborigines. In Hong Kong, our membership is mainly Filipino and part of “Word for the World,” a ministry Gerald Holloway led with churches in many countries. The Asian Seminary of Christian Ministries in Manilla, Philippines, is a major training center preparing students from various ethnicities for ministry throughout Asia.
In Cambodia, the church is building the Kingdom through social ministries, including building an actual city in Andong. When completed, the city had paved streets, underground sewage, a school, and 1,000 new homes provided through People for Care and Learning (PCL), an independent benevolent organization with roots in the Church of God. PCL operates orphanages, English classes, job training, medical clinics, clean water projects, and teaches agricultural skills. Members living in Cambodia, extend the reach of the Church of God there.
Our Indonesian Partnership
Beginning in the 1950s, the Church of God developed a connection with Indonesia, particularly through friendship with Ho Senduk. Senduk was leader of the Gereja Bethel Injil Sepenuh (Bethel Full Gospel Church), which in 1952 had separated from a Pentecostal organization tracing its roots to the first Pentecostal Movement in Indonesia. After his initial contact with the Church of God, Senduk prayed for a partnership. He traveled to the United States in 1958 and joined the North Cleveland Church of God as an ordained minister, but the time was not yet right for the Indonesian church. With the fall of Communism in Indonesia, the partnership became official in February 1967 when General Overseer Charles W. Conn, Ho Senduk, and other leaders met in Jakarta to sign an agreement. In English, the church is known as “Bethel Full Gospel Church of God” and in Indonesian as “Gereja Bethel Indonesia.” The initial years of the transition proved difficult as the Indonesian church divided, but Senduk reorganized in 1970 with 135 ministers and 11,070 members. His capable leadership guided the Indonesian church for 50 years. Unlike most other parts of the world, national ministers have always led the ministry in Indonesia. International missionary-educators have been helpful to the work, including Thomas Sands, who served from 1975 to 1983, and Tommy Smith, who arrived in 1984 and continues to minister there. A prominent Indonesian pastor, Niko Njotorahardjo, pastors the largest Church of God in the world. Located in Jakarta, it has over 250,000 members, including 6,000 cell groups and 900 branches throughout the world. Although Indonesia has the world’s largest population of Muslins, Bethel Full Gospel Church of God is a model for church growth and multiplication. In addition to more than 5,000 churches, it provides educational institutions for ministers and trains educators for public schools, which permit the teaching of Christianity in the classroom. Numerous social ministries operate as forms of outreach to share the gospel, and Indonesian members are actively planting churches throughout the world. With three million members, the Bethel Full Gospel Church of God reveals how the Holy Spirit is empowering the church to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. |
ASIA/PACIFIC
These dates represent the first permanent Church of God ministry in a country or territory. Country/Territory Date Entered China 1914 India 1936 Philippines 1947 Japan 1954 Kiribati 1955 South Korea 1965 Indonesia 1967 Australia 1976 Pakistan 1977 Myanmar 1981 Taiwan 1981 Fiji 1983 Hong Kong 1986 New Zealand 1987 Western Samoa 1987 Singapore 1989 Malaysia 1991 Cook Islands 1994 Tonga Islands 1994 Vietnam 1994 Sri Lanka 1997 Nepal 1999 Papua New Guinea 2002 Bangladesh 2003 Cambodia 2008 |
Louis F. Morgan, Ph.D., is professor and director of Library Services at Lee University.