By Laura Owings

Lutheranism has long been known for its focus on the pure preaching and teaching of God’s Word, both in church and in the home. Lutheran Christians are taught that catechesis is an ongoing, life-long study and reflection as we read, learn and inwardly digest the Scriptures. For the individual as well as the larger church body, sometimes it is necessary to return to the biblical basics.

After many years of proclaiming the Gospel, the Japan Lutheran Church has also faced many challenges and in recent decades has fallen into practices which have caused a break in fellowship with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). 

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Jastram, LCMS missionary to Japan and resource coordinator for the LCMS Asia region, is seizing the opportunity to call Japan’s Lutheran pastors and laypeople back to the foundational doctrines and practice of biblical teaching as laid out in Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

Working together with the Rev. Charles Ferry, director of the LCMS Asia region, and in partnership with the LCMS Wyoming District, Jastram is turning to a practice used historically for teaching the Confessions: holding free conferences to define and teach what it means to be distinctly Lutheran, especially as it applies to present-day Japan.

Throughout LCMS history, “free conferences” have been held to unify pastors and theologians and ensure that the Scriptures were being taught properly, especially in light of global changes taking place around them, including population increase, language barriers and the spreading of the Gospel to new regions. 

Free conferences are called “free” because they often include participants from various theological backgrounds, and are intended to identify the similarities and differences between church bodies. However, these conferences stay clear of unionism, and are careful not to blur the distinction between churches that are in altar and pulpit fellowship with each other, and those that are not. 

With clear confession at the forefront, Jastram stated that one of the primary goals of these conferences is to “develop a group identity among Japanese Lutherans so that we can become acquainted with one another, trust each other and … work together.” 

A second, long-term goal is to create and assemble confessional Lutheran resources which are available in Japanese and owned and maintained by a Japanese Lutheran church body. 

The free conferences will focus on four fundamental topics, which Jastram describes as the four points of a compass, with each point marking something unique about our Lutheran identity. Under the proposed plan, all four of these topics will have been covered by the end of 2025. 

One conference was held in May 2024 and featured LCMS Wyoming District President Rev. John Hill as presenter. The topic was “Church and Ministry,” specifically the nature of the church, both visible and invisible, and the Office of the Keys. 

Future conferences will cover justification and Christology, and the proper distinction of Law and Gospel. 

The next conference will be held Nov. 5–7, 2025 and will feature the Rev. Kenneth Mars, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cody, Wyo., as its speaker. The topic will be the Means of Grace, that is, Word and Sacrament.

This is a very exciting time for Lutheranism in Japan, as we witness the work of the Holy Spirit in the spreading of the Gospel. By the grace of God, and with a shared love for the preaching and teaching of God’s Word in its fullness and purity, there is hope for the restoration of fellowship between the LCMS and the Lutheran Christians in Japan.