From the Superintendent's DESK

Reverend Hidehiro Ouchi, who was one of our early converts in Japan and devoted his life to the work there, has gone on to his reward. He received salvation in 1956 as a young college student after being invited to attend church services and English classes conducted by missionaries Arthur and Miriam Allen. He went on to receive his deeper experiences and in 1962 was ordained as pastor of the Kawasaki church, which later became the Japan headquarters. Six years later, he was appointed as District Superintendent of Japan. After over fifty years in that role, he retired last year at the age of eighty-five.

Brother Ouchi will be remembered for his beaming smile, kind personality, and years of faithful service. He is survived by his wife, Sister Sumie, as well as two daughters, a son, and grandchildren. His funeral service will be held at the Japan headquarters church in Kawasaki on October 5 at 2:00 p.m. (JST), and will be webcast live. Please pray for his family as well as for the work in Japan, which continues to be led by the Kawasaki Board of Trustees with the assistance of Brother Yoshiki Ohno.

Following are more details of Brother Ouchi’s testimony, which were published upon his retirement in the July 2021 issue of The Apostolic Faith magazine. To read the full article, including a brief history of the Japan work and Sister Sumie’s testimony, click here.

We pray Brother Ouchi’s legacy of faithfulness to God will be a blessing to his family and to the many lives he strived to win for Christ.

God has been so gracious to me. When I was in college studying to be an attorney, a friend invited me to go with him to the Apostolic Faith Church in Ota, Tokyo, to learn English. Missionaries Arthur and Miriam Allen had come from the United States with their children to start the church. Brother Allen conducted the services and Sister Allen taught English conversation classes. I went to both, not knowing anything about my heart’s condition and not having any purpose for my life.

Soon, I found that there were more important things in life than learning English, like the salvation of my soul and having peace with God. As I listened to the preaching, I realized that I was a sinner. One sermon in particular spoke to my heart. Brother Allen said that a young man was questioned about what he planned to do with his life. He answered that he would get an education. Then he was asked, “What then?” He said he would get established in business. “What then?” He would marry. “What then?” When the conversation came to the end of the young man’s life, he was asked again, “What then?” Through the sermon, I realized that one day I would stand before God in judgment and would have nothing to show for my life if I did not serve Him.

When I was twenty years old, I went to the summer camp meeting. There, I repented of my sins, and God forgave me and changed my heart, giving me peace and joy within. He also gave me a purpose in life, and I left off pursuing a career as an attorney.

A few years later, God sanctified me, and then in 1962, when I was twenty-six years old, He baptized me with the Holy Ghost. In October of that same year, I was sent to pastor the new church in Kawasaki, and a few months later, Sumie and I were married. The Lord has helped us for many years now and has been so good and merciful. I hope to follow Him all the days of my life.