Foundation Funding History
Shortly before Iwa was founded, another parachurch ministry that focused on developing the next generation of Christian leaders in the Japanese American community had emerged that was the result of an initiative that was initially under the auspices of the Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS). Emerging leaders from many Japanese American churches were encouraged by their pastors to get involved, and many of the best young leaders did just that. However, the outcome proved disastrous for many of these churches.
Out of this leadership development project sponsored by JEMS, a new and independent parachurch ministry was formed that soon became a church itself, and then evolved into becoming a radical Christian cult that left the existing Japanese American churches depleted of many of their best young leaders. As a result, JEMS, the Japanese American churches and the Japanese American Christian community at large were extremely cautious of supporting any new parachurch ministry that would arise out of the Japanese American community, especially a new ministry being started by someone who was leaving the staff of JEMS to found a new ministry.
Such was the case with how Iwa began. Stan Inouye had been on JEMS staff for several years as, among other things, the first Director of Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF). It was while Stan was on JEMS staff that he realized that another type of ministry needed to be established that sought to discover why people of Japanese ancestry around the world seemed to be resistant to Christianity and to develop whatever ministry resources were needed to more effectively reach them for Christ. Stan was joined by a small band of others who then founded the ministry of Iwa.
This is the backdrop as to why Iwa did not aggressively go out into the Japanese American Christian community or to its churches to seek support for Iwa's ministry. As a result, Stan, the Iwa staff and board had to seek a huge portion of Iwa's funding from their limited network of friends and family and sources beyond the Japanese American Christian community . A primary source of support turned out to be large Christian organizations and foundations. Without the encouragement and support of these major donors, Iwa's thirty year history would never have been possible. The Christian organizations and foundations that provided a major portion of God's provision for Iwa's early history are as follows (in alphabetical order):
Out of this leadership development project sponsored by JEMS, a new and independent parachurch ministry was formed that soon became a church itself, and then evolved into becoming a radical Christian cult that left the existing Japanese American churches depleted of many of their best young leaders. As a result, JEMS, the Japanese American churches and the Japanese American Christian community at large were extremely cautious of supporting any new parachurch ministry that would arise out of the Japanese American community, especially a new ministry being started by someone who was leaving the staff of JEMS to found a new ministry.
Such was the case with how Iwa began. Stan Inouye had been on JEMS staff for several years as, among other things, the first Director of Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF). It was while Stan was on JEMS staff that he realized that another type of ministry needed to be established that sought to discover why people of Japanese ancestry around the world seemed to be resistant to Christianity and to develop whatever ministry resources were needed to more effectively reach them for Christ. Stan was joined by a small band of others who then founded the ministry of Iwa.
This is the backdrop as to why Iwa did not aggressively go out into the Japanese American Christian community or to its churches to seek support for Iwa's ministry. As a result, Stan, the Iwa staff and board had to seek a huge portion of Iwa's funding from their limited network of friends and family and sources beyond the Japanese American Christian community . A primary source of support turned out to be large Christian organizations and foundations. Without the encouragement and support of these major donors, Iwa's thirty year history would never have been possible. The Christian organizations and foundations that provided a major portion of God's provision for Iwa's early history are as follows (in alphabetical order):
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However, funding for Iwa from large Christian organizations and foundations is largely a thing of the past. Over the past decade, the leadership for many of these funding sources has changed and so has their giving guidelines. As a result, Iwa's eligibility for funding from large Christian foundations has dwindled to practically nothing. Iwa's funding base must now primarily the community we serve. Iwa has never been aggressive about raising funds. We have been dependent upon the faith giving of those who have become aware of Iwa and directly benefited from our ministry along the way– people who have felt led to partner with us in the mission of reaching the 97% of Japanese Americans and the vast majority of Asian Americans who do not yet know Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. Otherwise, we are referred to as the "best kept secret" in the Japanese American Christian community. We believe this website is the way the Lord wants to make Iwa visible, not only to the Japanese American Christian community and its churches, but also Christians and churches around the nation and world, so that the entire church can partner together with Iwa in reaching out more effectively to people of Japanese and other Asian ancestries, not only here in the United States, but everywhere.