On the front cover is the home in Japan of
the pioneer missionary from among churches of Christ, John Moody McCaleb
(1861-1953). The house is now a historic site known as the Zoshigaya Missionary
Museum.
It is Tokyo's oldest standing, Western-style,
wooden building. Built in 1907 this
Gothic two-story house was built by McCaleb who had the material material
shipped from Tennessee. Just as McCaleb's house influenced Japanese
architecture, McCaleb himself exposed the Japanese to Christ by establishing
schools and church missions. The J.M. McCalebs and others journeyed to Japan 1892.
McCaleb remained there 50 years.
McCaleb was influenced to be a missionary by
the noted leader J. W. McGarvey, but he was convinced by James A. Harding that
God's providence would bring financial support. He allowed no missionary
society to send him, and at first made no appeals to the churches for funds.
Though he never changed his view about societies, he later made appeals to the
brotherhood for funds for his work and for the work of others.
McCaleb did much to publicize mission work
all over the world. On his furloughs home, he spoke to numerous students about
becoming missionaries. He spent his last days in Los Angeles, and is buried in
the famous Englewood Cemetery.
