Trained believers wisely counsel others

After surveying a group of Japanese pastors about the greatest needs of their congregations and communities, Matthew 13:23 Ministries learned that there exists a significant lack related to mental health and counseling care in Japan. While the Japanese incur high rates of depression, anxiety, and stress-induced burnout amongst the general population, for cultural reasons, they are often hesitant to seek the help of a professional counselor for these issues. In 2023 alone, there were over 21,000 suicides committed in Japan. Worse still, a growing number were committed by students in elementary school, middle school, or high school.

Given this reality, how can Christian leaders rise to the task of ministering to those suffering from mental health crises in Japan? By partnering with Dr. Jonathan Okinaga of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Matthew 13:23 Ministries has launched a Biblical Counseling training program for Japanese Christians. Alongside the hands-on counseling instruction provided therein, this ministry initiative also proposes the first-of-kind translation of Biblical Counseling resources into Japanese and the future development of an online Japan Biblical Counseling Center.

Our hope is that these efforts will uniquely position Japanese pastors and lay-leaders to provide a much-needed service to their own communities, and in due course, further equip them for the tasks of evangelism and discipleship.