by YOSHIYA HARI
National Director, A3 Japan
FOR MORE THAN FORTY YEARS, A3-JAPAN has walked alongside pastors and Christian leaders across our nation. We have prayed, learned, and labored together for the renewal of the church in one of the most spiritually challenging mission fields in the world.
In 2020, we took a courageous step forward.
Redesigning our Program
Recognizing that leadership formation must go deeper than classrooms and lectures, we redesigned our national Leadership Development Program. Our goal was simple but bold: not merely to train leaders, but to form Christlike leaders for long-term, faithful ministry in Japan.
Recently, we completed a thorough evaluation of the first two cohorts of this revised program. As I read the feedback, I was deeply encouraged. What I saw was not just a successful program, but a growing movement of leaders being renewed by God.
From Information to Transformation
For many years, leadership training in Japan followed an academic model. While valuable, it sometimes produced excellent strategy papers without lasting change on the ground.
Our revised program made key, decisive shifts:
- From INFORMATION → to FORMATION
- From CLASSROOMS → to COMMUNITY
- From TECHNIQUE → to TRANSFORMATION
This change is bearing fruit.
Participants consistently describe the program as a place of deep personal renewal, not merely skill development. They speak of rediscovering their calling, regaining spiritual clarity, and finding fresh courage to lead in difficult contexts.
This is exactly what we prayed for.
Healing Isolation Among Pastors
One of the most striking outcomes is the power of community.
Japanese pastors often carry their burdens alone. Denominational boundaries, regional isolation, and ministry pressure can quietly drain the soul.
In our program, leaders repeatedly testify that the greatest gift was not a lecture, but a fellowship.
They found:
- Trusted peers across denominations
- A safe place to share struggles honestly
- Spiritual companions for the long road of ministry
These relationships did not end at graduation. Many cohorts continue meeting, praying, and collaborating years later.
This is more than training. It is the rebuilding of the Body of Christ in Japan.
Forming Leaders from the Inside Out
Participants consistently highlight several practices that God used deeply in their lives:
- Timeline reflection, helping leaders see God’s hand across their life story
- Vision clarification, sharpening their sense of calling
- Servant leadership formation, shaping character before strategy
- Barnabas coaching, providing personal spiritual care
- Hands-on ministry experiences, grounding learning in real mission
These are not quick techniques. They are slow, formative processes — exactly what Japan’s church needs in this season.
We are not just preparing leaders to do more. We are helping them become more.
Why This Matters for Japan’s Future
Japan does not need quick fixes. Instead, we need:
- Spiritually rooted leaders
- Emotionally healthy pastors
- Theologically grounded innovators
- Relational bridge-builders across the body of Christ
That is exactly the kind of leadership this program is cultivating.
Leaders emerge with renewed faith, clarified calling, and stronger networks for cooperation across regions and denominations. Churches are strengthened not only through better strategy, but through healthier shepherds.
This is how lasting renewal takes root.
Gratitude and Hope
I am profoundly grateful:
- To our participants, who trusted the journey.
- To our faculty and coaches, who poured out their wisdom.
- To our partners and supporters, who made this possible.
- Most of all, I am grateful to God, who is quietly renewing the leaders of His church in Japan.
We are walking together into the future — not perfectly, but faithfully.
And I believe the best days of Christ’s church in Japan are still ahead.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
REV. YOSHIYA (JOSHUA) HARI is the pastor of Saikyo Nozomi Chapel and has been the A3 Japan National Director since 2011. He works with leaders across Japan to grow networks and inspire a church multiplication movement with an eye for those areas without a church. Yoshiya also serves on A3's international Ministry Team, which provides direction and oversight for our global leader development network.
More Information
- Photo credits:
- Header photo of group hiking uphill by Tobias Mrzyk on Unsplash
- Inset photos courtesy A3/Japan
- There is a summary video in Japanese language here: https://youtu.be/EcnSNNNZQi0
