By Carson Foushee
One of the blessings of our work as field personnel with CBF is the partnerships we have with congregations across the Fellowship. This is especially true of the Encourager Churches with which we have covenantal partnerships of support. First Baptist Church Dalton, Ga, is one such congregation. A month before the pandemic began, we signed a covenant with the hopes of hosting teams to serve in Japan in the coming years, but travel restrictions made such work impossible for three years. This made the visit this spring from three ministers from the church more exciting.
Over the course of the time together, we had the opportunity to introduce these pastors to Japanese culture and several local and national ministry partners. Our city of Kanazawa boasts a rich cultural heritage that allowed us the chance to share in a tea ceremony, make culinary favorites and try traditional fabric dying. The city also has a long Shinto and Buddhist history, creating questions about the religious environment in Japan, especially in relation to the Church and its impact.
FBC Dalton’s presence also provided a chance to create new relationships and deepen roots with partners. Our home is a short walk from a historic Christian junior and senior high school campus and even though we led an English club at school system’s junior college several years ago, we are not closely connected with the campus near our home.
FBC Dalton’s desire to bring a youth mission team next year created the chance to meet with the school principal and English teacher to dream about how to create fruitful student exchange and events. It also introduced other ways Laura and I can continue to connect going forward. The visit gave me a good reason to reach out to a Japan Baptist Convention Church in Tokyo that works alongside internationals to not only connect our American friends to them, but also learn more about a ministry that I’ve been called to in my city.
Some of these were expected results for a visioning trip, but it was other interactions that arose simply because a group of Americans were traveling together that were most surprising. On the way to and from a professional baseball game by train, we had conversations about faith with other riders that I rarely have with strangers in Japan. A socially restrictive bubble was seemingly burst when curious passengers inquired about the Western group’s presence in Japan. These created openings to share about their purpose in Japan, what they had learned in their short visit and also foundational beliefs in the Christian faith. I was even able to get the contact information of one person and stay in touch after the group’s departure.
FBC Dalton’s visit helped us deepen our presence within the ministries we engage on regularly as well as extend our presence in our community and beyond. They helped us to consider how we can better equip partners to share Christ’s love in communities locally and across Japan. We are grateful for this special relationship with this Encourager Church. We look forward to hosting them and other partners in the years ahead as we prepare our hearts for both the expected and unexpected encounters that God will create as we join God on mission.
Carson and his wife Laura are field personnel in Kanazawa, Japan. They serve in a partnership with the Japan Baptist Convention. To learn more about their work, click here.