Juji Nakada (1870–1939)

On October 29, 1870, Juji Nakada was born in Japan, later becoming one of the nation’s most earnest Christian evangelists. In an era when faith in Christ often carried social cost, he pressed forward with quiet heroism—preaching repentance, urging believers toward wholehearted devotion, and calling the church to holy living that matched its confession. His message was not merely moral improvement, but a surrendered life shaped by the presence and power of God. “For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:16).

Nakada’s burden for the salvation of his people was marked by compassion rather than pride. He carried the weight of Japan’s spiritual need in prayer, believing God could open doors no human effort could force. “The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.” (James 5:16). His leadership encouraged ordinary believers to seek God earnestly, to confess sin quickly, to make peace promptly, and to speak of Christ boldly.

Call to Japan: Charles and Lettie Cowman (1901)

In 1901, Nakada’s influence reached beyond his own preaching when he helped stir Charles and Lettie Cowman to come to Japan and join the work of the gospel. Their arrival represented more than travel; it was a step of faith into unfamiliar language, customs, and pressures. The Cowmans’ partnership with local believers strengthened evangelistic outreach and discipleship, showing the beauty of unity in Christ across cultures.

Nakada’s steady confidence in prayer and his insistence on Spirit-empowered ministry helped shape a work that aimed not only at conversions, but at grounded disciples who would endure. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33).

Oriental Missions Society (1910)

That cooperation bore lasting fruit when, in 1910, the Oriental Missions Society was incorporated. The society’s purpose was practical and spiritual: to strengthen evangelism, train workers, and deepen Christian life throughout the region. It served as a channel through which preaching, teaching, and pastoral care could spread farther than one person or one congregation could manage.

Enduring Legacy

Nakada’s name remains linked with a faith that expects God to answer, a holiness that begins in the heart, and a love for the lost that does not grow weary. The Cowmans later blessed countless readers through Streams in the Desert, but the story behind it includes a Japanese evangelist who believed God could use devoted lives—near and far—to bring the gospel to a nation.