‘God is using gospel music to draw Japanese people to himself’

I was a professional entertainer before I met the Lord in my mid-20s. I was born in the Philippines, but I came to the US and, while there, God called me to become a missionary. 

I moved to Japan in 1997 to do church planting work. Two years after I arrived, my daughter’s babysitter invited me to watch her sing at a concert. I showed up and 200 Japanese people were singing gospel music – almost everyone was not Christian. 

I found out that gospel had become popular because of the movie Sister Act, which had come out a few years earlier. Japan is such a faddish nation. Businesses are always looking for the next new thing, so when Sister Act came out, the music schools tried gospel and – boom! People showed up.

Unusual means

At first, I struggled to understand why Japanese non-Christians were singing gospel and getting so much joy from it. I mean: This is my God, my music. You know? But God immediately rebuked me. In Japan, less than one per cent of the population are Christian. It is such a hard land. God reminded me: he could use anything for his kingdom glory. He could use a secular movie. I said: “I’m sorry, God. I’m not going to box you in anymore.” 

Everyone who joins a choir is learning about the gospel. They’re singing about Jesus

Within six months, I was asked by a music school to start a gospel choir. I walked into a room – 30 people paying $20 per lesson. Non-Christians paying to sing songs about Jesus blew my mind! Then the manager said: “Can you start another class? There are 100 people on the waiting list.” But I didn’t want to start more choirs for secular companies. I wanted churches to reach non-Christians. 

Within a month, I started a gospel choir in our church plant. Now we have more than 50 choirs at 50 churches, with more than 1,000 members – and 80 per cent are not yet Christians. I will only work with a church where the pastor is part of the choir, because it needs to be shepherded. The attraction starts with the music. Then we teach them the meaning of the songs. The pastor leads devotionals during the break. We call it a workshop but it’s really a worship service. 

Thy will be done

Gospel started as a trend in Japan, but today it’s part of the culture. It’s got that vibe. It’s very, very hard to get non-Christians into a church, but people will come and watch a gospel concert. Everyone who joins a choir is learning about the gospel. They’re singing about Jesus. When and whether they get saved is God’s business. 

One guy was in college when he joined our first gospel choir 25 years ago. Five years later, he received Jesus. He left to go to America, and we lost touch. Then, about eight years ago, I got a call from him. He said: “Can I interview you? I’m finishing my seminary degree, and I’m writing my thesis on how gospel changed my life. I am now going to be a church planter in Japan.” 

I’ve been doing this for 25 years. It’s a really niche ministry, but the Holy Spirit is moving mightily and we’re seeing pockets of revival. Hebrews 11:13 talks about the Old Testament faithful ones who “did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance”. I’d love to see revival in my lifetime. But even if I don’t, it’s God’s work, not mine. I’m just going to keep on singing gospel in Japan for the glory of God! 

Ken Taylor was speaking to Emma Fowle