Satoru Kanemoto, Chair, Japan Lausanne Committee
28 March, 2011
On behalf of the Lausanne family in Japan and the Japanese Church, I would like to express our deep gratitude for all the messages from and the loving support of our friends all over the world,
since the Great East Japan Earthquake hit on March 11. We are particularly grateful for the statement by Lindsay Brown, Lausanne Movement International Director, promptly issued on March
12.
While we are only beginning to see the degree of devastation, we feel strongly encouraged by the unprecedented level of eagerness among the Japanese Church to network and to share information for
concerted relief efforts. As we, the Japan Lausanne Committee (JLC), together with some forty Cape Town 2010 (CT2010) delegates from Japan, already have a strong network which covers the majority
of evangelical churches in Japan, we stand in a strategic position to serve.
Relief Work
JLC fully supports the relief work of the Japan Evangelical Association (JEA). Please note that the Relief Commission of JEA is chaired by a JLC member. JEA has been working closely with the
Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope Japan (CRASH). Japan Evangelical Missionary Association (JEMA) has been taking donations for CRASH. A number of JLC/CT2010 members are directly
involved in CRASH and/or JEMA. We are so thankful for the overwhelming number of offers of help and donations from around the world.
Please pray that the Japanese Church may be united in disaster relief. Pray that the love of Christ will be clearly demonstrated through words and deeds of Christians. Pray that help will come quickly to the thousands still missing.
We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28). Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:39).