Overseas Personnel in Current Service

• London Conference
• Serving The United Church of Christ in Japan
• 1969 to present

Robert and Keiko Witmer have been working in northern Japan for almost 35 years. Robert arrived in Japan in 1969 and after five years of teaching English at a church-related college in Sapporo, he moved to Nayoro, a small rural community in Japan’s far north. Robert and Keiko met in Japan and married in 1973. Although Keiko is a member of the United Church of Christ in Japan, she was appointed by The United Church of Canada as overseas personnel alongside Robert.

Robert and Keiko have put a lot of effort into building links between the church in Canada and Japan. With their aid, many groups of people, from both countries, have participated in exchanges between The United Church of Canada and the United Church of Christ in Japan.

Robert has also worked on translations of many books that introduce aspects of Japanese Christianity to Canadians, as well as those that introduce aspects of Canadian Christianity to the Japanese. Christians in Japan are a minority and Robert and Keiko feel strongly that there is much that the church in Canada can learn from the church in Japan.

As overseas personnel, Robert and Keiko’s main involvement has been in the work of the Dohoku Centre, a rural church centre established in 1960 with the financial support of The United Church of Canada. The Dohoku Centre carries out a wide range of activities and programs, such as one related to issues of food, agriculture, and rural society called “Three Love—love for God, love for humanity, and love for the soil.” Keiko was deeply involved in putting together two books of recipes that grew out of the “Three Love” rural network. First published in 1998 and 2001, they have sold close to 10,000 copies in total throughout Japan and are still being reprinted every year.

In addition to the “Three Love” activities, the Dohoku Centre works closely with the 10 churches of the northern Hokkaido sub-district, many of which are very small. Robert has worked as an interim pastor in several of these churches when they were between ministers. Keiko’s main involvement has been with the Nayoro church, of which she is a member. She serves on the official board and has particular responsibility for children’s worship and activities.

Finally, Robert and Keiko work with a program that seeks the social rehabilitation and participation of people under psychiatric care. Robert has acted as Head Director of this program since 1996.

The United Church of Christ in Japan (Kyodan) is the largest Protestant denomination in Japan. The Kyodan was formed in June 1941, when 34 Protestant denominations were united under the force of the Japanese government. A priority of the Kyodan is to provide support for small churches in outlying and rural areas so that they may continue to be beacons of the gospel and maintain a gospel presence in their respective communities.

• Read Keiko and Robert's Letters from Overseas