Progress of the Gospel in Japan
It is interesting to note that, although the first Japanese convert was baptized only thirty-six years ago, and the first Japanese congregation—of nine members—was organized so recently as twenty-nine years ago, there are to-day in that country 42,461 Christians in a population of 44,000,000, or one Christian to every nine hundred of the people.16There are at the present time 757 Protestant missionaries in Japan. The awakening that has followed their labors during the last few years is marvelous. One missionary writes that the trial upon all the missions is the lack of men and money to extend the work and gather in the inquirers.