James Joel Vehling

born 4/19/1940, Dryden, Ontario, Canada (citizenship: USA)

 

Spouse/Family

Wife: Jane Ellen (nee Lieb), born 12/28/41, Algona, Iowa USA; married 8/16/1964

Son: Timothy James, born 04/29/1966 (spouse: Kristen nee Harstad)

Daughter: Pamela Jane, born 05/23/1968 (spouse: Christopher Fallert)

 

Dates of Service Field Call Assignment

June 1966 ~ January 1979 Japan Missionary

July 1986 ~ January 1993 Japan Missionary

 

Biographical Summary

 

James J. Vehling was born in Dryden, Ontario, Canada, on April 19, 1940, to Arnold and Anita Vehling. His father, an LCMS pastor, served as a pioneer missionary, reaching out to immigrants from Germany and Poland who were homesteading in the area. In 1942 Jim moved with his parents to Farmington, Minnesota, and then in 1949 to Vernon Center, Minnesota. He attended Concordia High School in St. Paul, graduating in 1958, and received his A.A. from Concordia College, also in St. Paul, in 1960. Two years later he received his B.A. from Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, in 1966.

 

While home on Christmas vacation in 1961 at Lone Rock, Iowa, where his parents had just moved, Jim met Jane Lieb, who was a member of the congregation his father was serving. She was working as a beautician in Algona, Iowa. After their marriage in August 1964 she worked in Eugene, Oregon, for a year. During the last year at the seminary she kept many wives of seminarians “beautiful,” after they learned of her profession.

 

Jim’s vicarage at Grace Lutheran Church in Eugene, Oregon, introduced him to campus ministry, and his desire was to become a campus pastor upon graduation. In mid-September 1965, however, Harry G. Coiner, Director of Placement, challenged Jim to consider a call to a foreign mission field. Under the tutelage of William Danker, a group of fifteen potential foreign missionaries met regularly throughout the academic year. After a series of medical, psychological, and linguistic skills tests and interviews, five candidates for foreign placement were identified. Because of his involvement in the selection process, Jim chose to write his Fourth Year Research Paper on the recruitment and training of missionaries. This study proved to be helpful in preparing for his future calling. On May 2, 1966, which was Call Day, Jim first learned that he was called as a missionary to Japan. He received his call documents in a sealed envelope at a service in the seminary chapel. But much to the consternation of Paul Heerboth, then Personnel Secretary for the Board for Missions, he did not open his envelope at that time. Instead, he drove to Lutheran Hospital in south St. Louis, where his wife had just days before given birth to their first child. It was there in the maternity ward they learned that in a few months they, with their infant son, would be traveling to Japan to begin their ministry.

 

The next step was Missionary Orientation. This took place at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and lasted six weeks. Most attendees were clergy; some were educators; others were support staff. In addition to receiving advice for living overseas and learning about the country where one would serve, there were classes in missiology and linguistics for which one could receive credit in the graduate school of the seminary. Spouses audited the classes. On August 7, 1966, Jim was ordained by his father at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lotts Creek (Lone Rock), Iowa, and commissioned as a missionary to Japan.

 

The Vehlings arrived at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on September 1, 1966. Jim still has vivid memories of looking out of the window of the San Bancho Hotel the next morning and pondering the challenges ahead: climate, language, shopping, congestion, traffic, smog, housing, caring for an infant. This was a very “different” world. It is noteworthy that with the arrival of the Vehlings in 1966 there were forty-two career missionaries plus their spouses and children in Japan. In addition, there were five Prince of Peace Volunteers (2½ year term). This represents the greatest number of missionaries in Japan at the same time. It is also important to note that no additional career missionaries were again sent to Japan until 1985.

 

Jim’s first assignment was to study Japanese at the Lutheran Language Institute, located in the Tokyo Lutheran Center near Iidabashi Station. A small but adequate rental home was provided for the Vehlings near Ichigaya Station, about a 30-minute walk from the Center. He was assigned to Totsuka Lutheran Church near Yokohama for his field work experience. After two years of intensive study, in July 1968 Jim received a Certificate of Proficiency in Written and Spoken Japanese. By this time the Vehlings’ daughter Pam had been born, and they were busy caring for two little ones. As they got older, the children would attend Hokkaido International School.

 

After completing language study, Jim was sent to work as a missionary based in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Besides preaching twice a month and leading regular Bible classes, he also attempted to follow up on Lutheran Hour contacts in the area. Another part of his work was to establish relationships in the community by teaching English classes and by getting involved in civic projects. In this regard he served as Vice-President of the Asahikawa Branch of the Japan-America Society. He also served on the Asahikawa-Bloomington (Indiana) Sister City Committee. At the request of LCUSA, Jim served as a part-time auxiliary chaplain at Wakkanai Air Station, Wakkanai, Hokkaido, from 1969 to 1971. Jane, meanwhile, taught many English classes in their home. She was also asked by women in the neighborhood to teach American cooking, and she recalls teaching about the use of microwave ovens at a time when she did not own one herself! Jane was also “extremely good at relating to people,” according to Jim, and was a blessed presence in the church and with those who visited. In June 1971 Jim completed his assignment in Asahikawa and the family returned to the United States for a one-year furlough.

 

When the Vehlings returned to Japan, Jim’s assignment was to be resident missionary and English teacher at Seibo Gakuen (Holy Hope School) in Hanno, Saitama. In the summer of 1973 Jim was asked to assume leadership of the Sapporo Youth Center (SYC) in Sapporo, Hokkaido, an outreach ministry primarily to college students. With the support of three Volunteer Youth Ministers (2½ year term English teachers) and an excellent Japanese staff, the program was greatly expanded and improved. English classes were offered for adults and children at all levels of ability. Study groups for women were initiated. Seminars on a variety of topics were offered. Bible classes in both English and Japanese were offered. In 1976 the number of people who frequented the SYC on a weekly basis approached two hundred. Jane too worked at SYC, mainly teaching English and, as before, making people feel welcome and cared for. She also provided hospitality ministry to visitors to their home, in particular hosting Thanksgiving dinners for those who had been to the U.S. and were interested in the custom.

 

Jim finished his term in Japan in May 1978 and returned to the United States. (For the sake of comparison: in 1978 there were only five career missionaries in Japan.) During the academic year of 1978-1979 he studied at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, where he completed the course work but not the thesis for a Master of Theology degree. At this time the Vehlings lived on the campus of Concordia College, where he taught part-time, worked as a counselor for dorm residents, and served as resident missionary. In June 1979 Jim accepted a call to be sole pastor of St. Stephanus Lutheran Church, St. Paul. During their time in Minnesota, Jane worked as a secretary for a Christian lobbying organization that tried to get benefits and assistance for Christian schools, and as always, she was involved in the life of the church and in reaching out to its members, particularly the sick and the elderly.

 

In 1986 the Board for World Missions of the LCMS asked Jim to consider returning to Japan as missionary. An urgent need had arisen when the missionary sent in 1985 to establish a campus ministry in the Tokyo area was compelled to resign and return to the United States due to the death of his wife. The Board was looking for someone who was already fluent in Japanese and who had experience in working with college students to replace him. Jim accepted the call in July 1986. He was the first LCMS missionary to return to a field of service after a resignation and ministry in the States. He and Jane arrived in Japan in January 1987 and took up residence in a Japanese-style apartment (450 square feet) in Fuchu, a western suburb of Tokyo.

 

The situation this time was quite different from the first term of service. In 1987 Jim was the only career missionary in Japan, although there were about 25 VYMers. During his first term he had been accountable primarily to leaders who were other American missionaries. This time he was responsible to Japanese leaders of the Japan Lutheran Church. Over time there had been a major paradigm shift—one that Jim acknowledged and applauded. Jim worked as Coordinator for Campus Ministry, Tokyo area, from July 1986 until March 1992. He and his assistant, Karla Konrad, sought to establish contacts within a number of universities to establish meeting places for English classes and fellowship. Jim also served as Assistant Pastor at Tachikawa Lutheran Church from 1987 to 1991 and as Pastor from 1991 to 1992. From July 1988-March 1992, Jim took on the role of Missionary Counselor for Japan. His task was to serve as a liaison between the Japan Lutheran Church and the Board for World Missions of the LCMS. He also was to supervise and provide support for the Volunteer Youth Ministers who were serving in Japan. In April 1989 the Japan Lutheran Church asked Jim to become Principal of the Lutheran Language Institute, located in the Tokyo Lutheran Center. This school offered English classes for Japanese people and Japanese classes for foreigners. This work also lasted until March 1992. Jim’s other main contribution was in overseeing the translations of Bible study and other Christian materials from English into Japanese.

 

After five extremely busy years in multiple areas of ministry, Jim chose to go back to the United States and return to parish ministry. He worked from April 1992 until January 1993 as a Mission Educator assigned to the Minnesota South District of the LCMS. Jim was the first missionary to be in that position in a district as a rostered missionary. In January 1993 Jim and Jane moved to Hollywood, Florida, where Jim had accepted a call to serve as Pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and School. He continued there until his retirement in October 2003. Jane worked in the preschool, monitoring students’ coming and going to make sure all students made it safely to and from school, and again provided care and hospitality within the church. After Jim’s retirement, he worked half-time for the Florida-Georgia District as a Mission and Ministry Facilitator deployed to southeast Florida, until they moved to Woodbury, Minnesota, in May 2005. In November 2008 he accepted a half-time position as Assistant Director, Master of Arts in Christian Outreach (MACO) Program in the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach (OHSCO) at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota.

 

Nota Bene

Fourth-year thesis at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis entitled “The Making of a Missionary.”

 

During the Vehlings’ first furlough, Jim studied at the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor for the 1971-1972 academic year. His goal was to research the culture of Japan in order to more ably communicate the Gospel message in a relevant and effective manner. He chose to examine the influence of Shinto in the formation of Japanese thought and behavior. The title of his thesis was “Maki Izumi-no-Kami: Bakumatsu Scholar, Ideologue, and Activist”. At the end of the Tokugawa era Maki had been an influential Shinto priest in the political movement to restore the emperor as political and spiritual ruler. In August 1972 Jim received the Degree of Master of Arts in East Asian Studies (Japan).

 

During his tenure at the Sapporo Youth Center, Jim sought to sustain and expand the influence of the SYC within the city. Some of his civic contacts included the following: member of the Citizens’ Advisory Board for the Sapporo Snow Festival, English advisor for the Sister City Office, English advisor for the Mayor’s Office, English consultant for the Sapporo Board of Education, English translator and consultant for the Cancer Research Institute at Hokkaido University, member of the Japan-America Society, member of the Board of Directors of Hokkaido International School. One of Jim’s fondest memories was to be featured in a weekly item in the Hokkaido Shimbun (newspaper) called “Hyaku-niju-ni-man-no-Hitori” (“One Person Among 1,220,000”). It highlighted residents who had made significant contributions to the community.

 

A television station in Sapporo once asked Jane to be featured on a Saturday morning program called “Sunshine Mama.” The station was hosting a thirteen-week series to introduce women who were doing important work in the community. Jane thought she would be interviewed briefly, but it turned out the entire program was about her! She was the first person to be featured in this series and became a mini-celebrity for a time, with her picture all over Hokkaido. It was an interesting but somewhat surprising experience for someone who did not generally seek the spotlight!

 

Phase 2 Information

 

Biggest missiological issue faced?

A major issue came to the surface in about 1975. Until that time the Board for Missions (BFM) of the LCMS controlled the funding of mission and directed the activities of the missionaries. In May 1975, the NRK requested that a new relationship with the BFM in which both would support mutually-agreed-upon projects. Included in each project would be an assigned missionary. After a series of consultations, five projects were selected and five missionaries were retained. The others were asked to return to the States. The result was bitterness and confusion on the part of terminated missionaries. In time this “project model” was adopted in other mission fields as well. With this paradigm shift, the “daughter” church had been replaced by the “sister” church. Because the ministry of the Sapporo Lutheran Center was selected as a project, Jim was asked to continue his work. He did so until 1978. When he returned to Japan in 1986, he was sent under the “project model”—this time the project was campus ministry.

 

Most significant contribution during missionary service?

During Jim’s first term in Japan (1966-1978), the leadership of the mission was largely in the hands of missionaries. Since he was always the “rookie” missionary, there was little opportunity for leadership positions. His greatest contribution was the revival and expansion of the ministry of the Sapporo Youth Center.

 

The Sapporo Youth Center played a significant role in outreach for almost 40 years. It began in 1952, when the Missouri Synod was able to purchase prime property in the heart of Sapporo on Odori Park, the main street of the city. The SYC became very well known among the citizens. It was “the place” to study English. It was a center of social activity for young people. One distinction is that the SYC participated in the very first Sapporo Snow Festival (which has grown into an internationally acclaimed, major event). The Sapporo Symphony began at the SYC. The first pipe organ in Hokkaido, a gift from Gamma Delta, was installed there. Early on a Christian congregation had been established in the SYC. Over the years most of the members came from participants in SYC activities. At least six pastors in the Japan Lutheran Church had their first contact with Christianity at the SYC.

 

During his second term in Japan (1987-1992), Jim worked hard at building and sustaining an excellent working relationship between the BFMS and the leadership of the NRK. He earned the respect of his Japanese partners in ministry and they included him in their discussions and deliberations. Other contributions were the publication of the “Crossways” Bible study guides and the introduction of the PREPARE premarital counseling materials in the Japanese language.

 

Connection to today’s mission?

Jim’s work as a missionary in Japan influenced his ministry in the United States, both in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the center city and in Hollywood, Florida, in a multi-cultural community. It enhanced his ability to reach out with the Gospel to people of different ethnic backgrounds and religious persuasions. It enabled him to lead both congregations to be more responsive to challenges for mission outreach.

 

Jim served as a translator for Japanese participants in a “Dialogue Evangelism” (Bisenthal) workshop in Eureka, Missouri, in October 1984 and as a translator for Leroy Bisenthal when he led three workshops in Japan for the Japan Lutheran Church in May 1985.

 

Jim continued to work with the BFMS after his return to the States in 1992. For thirteen years (15 sessions) he was a presenter at the Orientation for Missionaries of the LCMS. His topic was “Communicating Christian Concepts Cross-Culturally.” His aim was to help missionaries share the message of Jesus Christ in an unfamiliar culture in words that could be understood by non-Christians.

 

Jim served on the Board of Directors of Lutheran Bible Translators from 1998 to 2007. He was Chairman of the Board from 2004 to 2006. He also worked as Mission and Ministry Facilitator for the Florida-Georgia District of the LCMS from 2003 to 2005. One of his tasks was to assist congregations in becoming mission outposts in their communities.

 

As of November 2008 Jim is the Assistant Director of the Master of Christian Outreach Program of the Oswald Hoffman School of Christian Outreach, Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. In this role he assists students in becoming more effective messengers of the Gospel.

 

Lessons Learned

• It is important that a missionary seek not to simply to fill his “need” to be a missionary but to respond to the perceived and real needs of the people to whom he is sent.
• The task of the missionary is not to “save” people but to point them to the Savior (the one who saves). Missionaries need to be careful not to embrace a “messiah complex”.
• Witness is not telling people what they must do to be saved but rather to testify about the One who offers salvation to all. Witness begins with listening, first to discover the perceived needs of another person and then to determine the stance from which that person views human existence—arrogance or brokenness.
• Mission work involves much more than gathering in the harvest. It is even more than planting the seed and tilling the soil. In fact, it begins with moving rocks. And sometimes that is all you will be able to accomplish. Someone else may continue the work. “Rock moving” is difficult and disappointing. Missionaries called to be “rock-movers” face the temptation of becoming easily discouraged. One reason is that more than likely they will hear criticism of their work rather than encouragement. As the Scripture clearly states: “The Lord gives the increase.” In this regard, it is important to remember that God “requires” a “steward” be found “faithful” to the task that He has given him rather than to be successful according to human standards (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:2).
• Jim quotes the adage, “Christians are to be weighed and not counted” – the question is not how many people are in church, but the quality of their Christian life. In Japan, though numbers are few, a person can meet a lot of “spiritual heavyweights,” since being a Christian is not socially accepted and people consider the church their Christian family.
• Learning the language of the people served is of utmost importance. A language is not simply to be learned as an academic exercise but as a means of expressing ideas and feelings. To reach that degree of fluency—especially with a language as complex as Japanese—requires year of study and practice.
• Learning the language needs to be accompanied by studying the culture. Jesus became a “man”, among other reasons, so that he might identify and communicate with us. It is essential for the missionary, as much as he is able, to identify with the people he serves. But this identifying posture must be genuine. Cultural differences will always surface; but that is all right, as long as one does not signal that his cultural peculiarity is superior.
• Paul’s observation that Christ crucified is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” is applicable to the Japanese setting. Japanese people, like Jews, are oriental (eastern) in their pattern of thought. Paradoxes are accepted and need not be logically resolved. Americans, on the other hand, are Greek in their way of thinking. As an example, for a Japanese person, the incarnation is viewed as a “stumbling block” rather than “folly”. That there could be a person who is both God and man at the same time could well be, but a likely response is this: “Is Jesus that God-man in whom I should put my trust?” A missionary, trained in the West, needs to adjust his way of thinking in order to winsomely communicate the Gospel message.

 

Best Practices

The most effective mission outreach is comprehensive (‘holistic’ may be a more contemporary word), seeking to meet both the perceived and real needs of individuals. As servants of Jesus, we seek to assist people physically and spiritually. One aspect cannot be sacrificed for the other. Our goal is not only to “get people into heaven” but also to introduce to them “the abundant life” that begins now and is fulfilled in eternity. To keep this in perspective requires constant Bible study and prayer. The Holy Spirit has promised to guide us in this awesome task.

 

Phase 3 Information

 

Inspiration for entering foreign missions?

 

Jim always knew that he wanted to become a pastor, following in the steps of his father. His dad was the ultimate “seelsorge”, very compassionate and caring for his “flock”. He was also a persistent and winsome witness for Christ, leading many into the Church. He had the gift of an evangelist. He was an excellent role model for his son.

 

Although Jim did not consider serving in a foreign country, he loved to meet missionaries and hear their stories—and also to ask for a coin from them. Jim also loved geography and enjoyed reading about other countries and cultures.

 

So when Dr. Coiner asked Jim to consider a call to a foreign country, the immediate response was in the affirmative. The groundwork, unbeknownst to Jim, had been laid many years earlier.

While for some there is an inner call to serve overseas, for Jim it was a call from the Church to which he responded. One call is not superior to other; both are generated by the Holy Spirit.

 

Quotation by/about or brief story:

• While serving at the Sapporo Youth Center, Jim taught English to and translated for Dr. Hiroshi Kobayashi, internationally renowned in cancer research. Over five years they spent many hours together, often discussing issues and problems encountered in daily life. One evening Dr. Kobayashi interrupted a conversation by saying, “You are subtle, but I detect that you are trying to convert me into a Christian.” Jim responded, “You have rightly perceived my intention. I do hope that Christ has so touched your life. Do you have any bad feeling about that?” He replied, “Not at all. But right now I am too busy with my research and teaching. However, when I am on my deathbed, I would like to pursue the matter with you.” Jim promised that he would be there at that moment but that Dr. Kobayashi would have to give him at least a twenty-four hour warning, because it might take him that long to get there. Dr. Kobayashi just smiled. Unfortunately, this dialogue was typical of many encounters with people in Japan. Perhaps it is common with people in the United States as well!