A Lesser Saint and a Living Model

December 2, that would be the birthday – day of his death? – of Channing Moore Williams, first missionary bishop of Japan. In the Anglican calendar, this is his Lesser Feast Day.
I remember meeting him for the first time. It was in Tokyo, on the grounds of Rikkyo, or St. Paul’s University as we would know it. I was standing in front of his statue, contemplating him as he seemed to be me. I would say that Rembrandt’s “Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer” came to mind, but that might be just a wee bit of a stretch.
Drew Rollins, my traveling companion on that trip and good friend, took a photo of the two of us, and I frequently look up at it from my desk in my Upper Room.
The Bishop, as I fondly refer to him, was a several-great uncle of mine and the namesake for our son. Channing Moore Williams was the first missionary Bishop of Japan. He went in soon after the US gunboats opened Japan. Less than 100 years later Gen. Douglas MacArthur wisely called for the United States to send missionaries to post-war Japan. If we did and if they were well received, Bp. Williams would deserve the credit. But taking credit is not something he liked to do. Indeed he almost slipped out of Japan for the last time without letting anybody know. Take notice they did and gave him the honor that he deserved.
Founding St. Paul’s University is but one of his more notable achievements. He also founded Heian (Peace) Hospital. It is said that he went eight years without a convert, but again his legacy has grown over the years. The Holy Catholic Church of Japan (Nippon Sei Kokai) lives today because of his steadfast commitment to seeing the name of Jesus Christ established among this great people.
Today we would call the Japanese of his day one of the least evangelized peoples. There were Christians but they were few and under severe persecution. My visit to Japan, when I had been invited to preach at Rikkyo’s chapel, came when the notion of attention to those least evangelized deserved the church’s attention.
And so on this his lesser feast day, I salute my relative and my inspiration.