The Indianapolis journal., 1893-05-01

Interesting Address by Mr.. Tamura. =
Japanese Minister.
The address at the morning service at
the Second Presby terian Church yester-
day was made by SIR. Naomi Tamura,
Q native of Toxic. japan. Mr. Tamura
was q classmate of Rev. Mr.. Milburn. at
Princeton. and graduated from the theo-
logical department.. For several years he
has had charge of an institution Of learn.
ing In Toxic. He 10 now in America for
the purpose of interesting the people of
this country in his school and ministerial
work.
In the address Mr. Tamura said: Japan
is comparatively Q new field. Only thirty
five years ago did the missionaries enter
that country TO carry on their work.
When the missionaries first came the
japanese were not ready for them.
There were two great obstacles The
government was bitterly opposed. and in
our homes father and mother warned the
children not to believe in the Christi an
ligi0n. The first church was established in
Yokohama twenty y.one years ago. To-day
there are Se5 churches in Japan and from
81. 600 TO $1,000 communicates. It has been
wonderful work. You cannot ind such
progress in any other nation. Whyf Be-
cause there are not the native workers: be-
cause Christianity does not come so much
through the missionaries as it does through
the natives. People in America think they
know what the natives are doing. but they
do not.
IL will tell you of my own experience.
which will give you some idea of what has
been accomplish ID in one case. was con-
verted by missionary. After some years
/ desired to start church with some
others. so we secured q room in which to
hold our services We were all such young
men that we could not according to the
-.s II -. -. g. -
Scriptures say that the old men who are
heads of families must be chosen for the
elders and deacone We were all young
men, and so We had TO choose young men
for these Offices. The church has grown
from girls and boys of the best
class. from the best pooplo OF the
country, and not from the slums.
Some Of theiboys of this church have come
to this country and have gone through
your highest colleges. Andover. Oberlin.
Yale and Princeton. and have been gradu-
8ted from these institutions Ninetee
years ago. when We began our church work.
men. They organized themselves. None
of them could preach, so we asked sOme
missionaries to come and talk TO These
missionaries had not been in the country
long enough TO learn the language very
well and so we did not care TO hear them
more than once or twice any more than
you would care to hear me more than once
or twice. From the beginning the
work has had to be self-supporting.
At first earned my own salary and did
most of the work. 1 also helped to pay the
expenses of the church. L know OF no
church In America where the pastor pays
himself. There Is university in Japan
from which the young men are graduated
and from there they are sent to England.
Germany and America. 1t has taken much
power and push to carry on the church. 10
was new idea to the Japanese TO have to
give money to help support the churches.
In N n of raa NJ
members. The mothers bring the children
to church and sometimes there are three.
four or five children in the seat with the
mother In this cS country moths,
home with the children while she
goes out, but it not SO in my
country. If she should, the husband would
surely say no.. When there are many
children sometimes it is not 80 easy TO
preach. l adopted q method which l
thought would do that was TO stop and
wait till the child was throug crying, but
this made the service very long. In q
church In TOXIC of four hundred mem bers,
100 are women and $50 are men. The masses
of people In the churches are men.
In the churches in Japan We have
ushers. but their duties are more than the
They seat the people. swake up the people
who 90 to sleep. and if any of the children
cry they must take them out and quiet
them or nurse them till the service is
into the churches. A church in Japan is
good place TO begin o reform. There are
sixty churches in Toxic and twenty Of
them are Presbyterian. The missionaries
are not in the churches. They are teaching
schooi. You have not much idea of the
work done by the natives We need means
of education for the natives. Ii takes
about So 900 TO keep missionary In japan
for o year; for the same amount three. four
or five natives can be supported. You
have probably heard that some missionary
has gone TO Japan. and has been able to
preach to the natives in their own tongue
in one year. That is q fish story. Itican-
not be done. i have been In this country
for ten years. and You can see how speak,
Mr.. Tsmnra is 3 very interesting charao-
ter, and his peculiar accent. manner,
stories and remarks. illustrative of his
subject attracted the closest attention.
The thought advanced of having the
heather nations Christianized by the ma
tives is one which will be q strong one
for the work for the future. After the sd-
dress Mr.. Milburn asked the congregation
TO assist In the work of MIR. Tamura. and is
is quite probable that material assistance
will be given, though no collection was
taken. Mr. Tamura addressed the congre
cation again at night.