Japan Lutheran Church
| Japan Lutheran Church | |
|---|---|
Logo of the JLC
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| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Confessional Lutheran |
| Polity | Congregationalist |
| Leader | Rev. Shin SHIMIZU |
| Associations | International Lutheran Council, Lutheran World Federation |
| Region | Japan |
| Origin | September 19, 1948 Tokyo, Japan |
| Branched from | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod |
| Congregations | 35 |
| Members | 2,490 baptized |
The Japan Lutheran Church (日本ルーテル教団 Nihon Ruteru Kyoudan) or NRK (based on its Romaji initials) is a Confessional Lutheran denomination in Japan. It currently has approximately 2,490 baptized members in 35 congregations nationwide.
The current chairman of the NRK is Rev. Shin SHIMIZU.
During the occupation of Japan by the Allied forces after the Second World War, several US Army chaplains affiliated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) were serving the local population. Discussions were held with representatives from the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (JELC) as well as other churches on mission work in post-war Japan. With the information gathered, the LCMS came to the conclusion that they should send missionaries to northern Japan where the Lutheran presence was scarce in order to avoid redundancies among the various Lutheran churches and missions operating in Japan and a resolution was adopted accordingly.
In September 1948, the LCMS installed the first missionary to Japan and declared the start of the Japan Mission, in accordance with the resolution adopted. With the passing of the Broadcast Law (放送法 Hōsō Hō) in 1950 legalising commercial and private broadcasting, The Lutheran Hour radio program started broadcasting in 1951.
The NRK was officially recognised as a religious body in Japan in 1953. Cooperation with the JELC remained close and in the same year, the NRK established School of Theology was merged with JELC's Lutheran Theological Seminary. In 1966, both the NRK and the JELC came into full communion with the adoption of the Establishment of Pulpit and Altar Fellowship and the Agreement on Cooperation in Theological Education agreements. This opened the door for the NRK's participation in activities organised by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In 1968, the self-governing NRK was established and it became self-supporting in 1976.
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