The latest extension school of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary of Andrews University was conducted during the months of February and March, 1962. It was held on the campus of Japan Missionary College, some forty miles southeast of Tokyo, Japan, which in the past has played a major role in the training of Japanese ministers. Situated in a rural area near the western shore of Tokyo Bay, it is very conducive to study and was an ideal place for our course.
The college was host to seventy workers, of whom forty-nine came from the four main islands of Japan, six from Okinawa, twelve from Korea, two from Taiwan, and one from Singapore. Although the majority of the students were pastors, practically every branch of the organized work was represented, for we had evangelists, teachers of colleges and academies, an editor, a chaplain of a sanitarium, the dean of a college, the principal of an academy, a Bible instructor, and departmental secretaries in our group. The administrative leaders of the Japan Union Mission considered this school of such importance that they released practically their whole working force and sent them to the extension school. The number of participants from Korea was not so great as from Japan, but every worker who had been able to obtain a permit from his government had come to Japan to attend this course.
The teaching team was comprised of R. A. Anderson, secretary of the General Conference Ministerial Association, T. H. Blincoe, Bible teacher of Japan Missionary College and newly appointed assistant professor of theology at the Theological Seminary, and S. H. Horn. R. A. Anderson taught the course in evangelistic leadership, T. H. Blincoe gave the timely course in righteousness by faith, and S. H. Horn presented the two courses archeology and the Bible and introduction to the Old Testament. Three of the four courses offered were taught with the help of translators; the last-mentioned course was taught in English.
Yoshio Seino, of Japan Missionary College, and Koei Aka, secretary of the Okinawa Mission, served as translators. Much of the success of the extension school was due to the able and devoted work of these translators to whom I want to offer a special word of tribute. It is difficult enough for an English-speaking teacher to give instruction with the help of a translator in another Indo-European language, such as Spanish or French, as I know from practical experience obtained in past extension schools. But one encounters much greater difficulties teaching in a language such as Japanese, which is of an entirely different structure, has a vocabulary that shows no similarities with English, and which is written in a script consisting of many hundreds of characters, of which the teacher cannot read a single one. In such a case one is entirely dependent on the translator.
Fortunately, our translators were excellent. During a brief visit to Japan six years ago Yoshio Seino translated for me for the first time, and from those who were able to judge I learned that he did an exceptionally fine job. When he learned that I was coming and that he would have to translate for me, he read one of my books on archeology in order to become familiar with the terms and idiomatic expressions I might use. Knowing his qualifications from that experience, it was only natural for me to make a special request to the college for Brother Seino's.release to us as translator. Although this request posed problems for the college where he taught as a full-time teacher, my request was granted, and he served R. A. Anderson and me as an extremely able translator. Koei Aka, our second translator, had been one of Elder Blincoe's students in college and was therefore well equipped to translate for his former teacher. Without the excellent work of these two men we would have been entirely helpless, and a special word of gratitude is due them and many others throughout the world field who serve the cause as qualified translators for missionaries and visiting administrators, as well as of books and articles.
As director of the extension school I was assisted in all matters pertaining to housing, catering, and other material needs by Robert J. Spangler, secretary of the ministerial association of the Far Eastern Division. He and Hiroshi Imura, business manager of the college, were responsible for the fact that our school ran smoothly and efficiently. Their work and care was deeply appreciated by teachers and students alike. Mrs. R. A. Anderson served the faculty as secretary.
When the extension school was first planned, it was thought to be impossible to conduct it at the college because facilities were taxed to the utmost by an enrollment that had more than doubled during the past few years. Therefore, plans were made to conduct our school in the evangelistic center at Osaka, Japan's second largest city. By utilizing every nook and corner of that building and of the Korean church as sleeping quarters, it was hoped to accommodate up to fifty students. Shortly before the course began, the way opened for conducting it in new and unoccupied buildings of a junior academy erected in the vicinity of the college campus.
Although these buildings were not quite finished when we moved in, all our students were happy to cooperate, for this change of locality made a much larger attendance possible. Although hardships were involved, they were borne willingly and without complaints. Everyone was happy that this change, advantageous in a number of ways, was made.
Although the program was extremely strenuous, all participants entered into it cheerfully and willingly. They were so eager to obtain as much information as possible during the eight weeks that it was hard to persuade most of them to enroll in not more than three of the four courses offered. I have never seen a group of workers who were more eager and studious. They realized that it would be many years before they would have another such opportunity and they wanted to make the most of it.
On weekends R. A. Anderson and I visited many churches, usually preaching twice every Sabbath. Although this was a strenuous program, it gave us a good opportunity to become acquainted with many of our church members and institutions, and to serve some of the many churches that were left without pastors because of their attendance at the extension school. In this way we also saw a good deal of the country, and by visiting the large cities of Japan we became conversant with the tremendous problems our workers face in that small country with its large population of more than ninety-four million people.
Concurrent with the extension school an evangelistic campaign was conducted by R. A. Anderson at the evangelistic center in Tokyo. He preached every Sunday and Wednesday nights to large and appreciative audiences. Jack Sager, the pastor-evangelist of the Tokyo Central church, will continue these meetings, and there are good prospects that several dozens of new members will be added to our church during the next few months.
Our workers in Japan are a conscientious group of men and women, earnestly and faithfully endeavoring to carry out their Lord's commission. The burden of the unfinished task weighs heavily upon them, and they are desperately seeking to find ways and means to bring the Advent message to their fellow men. Their work is not easy. They meet indifference and religious philosophies completely alien to that of Christianity, but there are also encouraging signs, and all our workers hope and pray for the day when the millions of Japan will awake and recognize their spiritual needs, which only the Christian faith can meet.
In Korea, on the other hand, from where twelve representatives attended the extension school, the work is growing so fast and at such an unprecedented scale that our workers cannot cope with the opportunities.
In that land an awakening is being experienced that shows what the Lord can do. No one knows how long it will last. May we as a church do our utmost to help our brethren in Korea to step into the openings and take advantage of the opportunities as long as they last.
During the week following the close of the extension school in Japan another such school began in Manila for the workers residing in the southern half of the Far Eastern Division.
The next seminary extension school will be held at Helderberg College, from December 5, 1962, to January 15, 1963, for the workers of the Southern African Division.
