The War Years
As already noted, the Disciples joined the government-decreed Kyodan almost immediately, even gladly. And some of them even joined the Kyodan after the war.
We would like to write a thrilling story of how the independent churches maintained their worship services in spite of the privations of the war and the loss of their buildings. Unfortunately, that is not the case. When the buildings were lost, the churches were lost.
Many of the Yotsuya Mission ministers had lost their vision of establishing non-denominational New Testament churches and thought of themselves as ministers of just another denomination. Without convictions regarding our "plea", they had no problem in joining the Kyodan.
One source says, "Of the Yotsuya mission, all but one of the churches ultimately entered the United Church over the protests of Mrs. Cunningham and the Stills. No vote was taken in these churches over the matter, it was decided by the Japanese pastors."
Mrs. Cunningham said, "Many of our members were opposed to it, but were helpless to do anything. The members did not know they were in the Union until I discovered it and told them. They discharged their minister, but they were in the Union and couldn't get out."
The Mabashi church did not join the Kyodan. But after September, 1941, they met privately in the minister's home rather than in the church building.
In Osaka the war brought a complete loss of buildings, and most of the membership was lost by death and dissemination. A real hero in Osaka, however, was Bro. Hiromu Sugano, a devout Christian and retired Army captain. When the Madden mission was destroyed by fire bombing, he had a shack built on it so that the land was occupied until the missionaries returned. If he had not done this, the property would have been lost.
As for the non-instrument churches during this period, those churches located in Shizuoka, Chiba and Ibaraki Prefectures did not join the Kyodan but continued meeting in homes. Some had their church buildings confiscated Chiba at that time had two churches with a total membership of 600 members.
The Kamitomizaka and Zoshigaya churches joined to form the Toshima-Zoshigaya church. This church called Suematsu Saito as rninister. He led the church into the Kyodan and so it was lost.