CBI History and Vision
More than twenty years before the vision for Christ Bible Institute (CBI) was born, pastors in the Nagoya area were praying for a seminary where young people could be trained for gospel ministry.
Michaels YLG Keynote Address The Lord began the process of answering those prayers in 1998 when Michael and Pearl Oh came as short-term missionaries to Nagoya, Japan, with Mission to the World, the missions branch of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). During their sixteen-month term, which included the planting of Chita Zion Church, the establishment of Nisshin Open House English School, and the creation of Heart & Soul, Michael asked various missionaries, pastors, leaders, and young people the same questions: “What can be done for Japan? How can we break out of this spiritual stagnancy? What is the most important thing needed for the future of gospel ministry in Japan?” The answers were all the same: “Young leaders need to be trained.”
After a long process of prayer, consultation, and research, Michael felt that the Lord was calling him to launch a new training ministry for Japan. Though there were existing seminaries and training centers, there was a geographic need (with few resources in Nagoya, a city of five million people), a theological need (with many seminaries moving more and more towards liberalism), and a pedagogical need (with most seminaries using educational models unchanged since the 1950s).
When Michael and Pearl returned to the United States in 1999, they moved to Boston, where Michael began to deepen his understanding of Japanese culture and history at Harvard University. Over the next four years, the initial CBI team was recruited, the educational model of Christ Bible Seminary (CBS, the seminary branch of CBI) was developed, and numerous meetings were held in Japan and the United States to build strategic partnerships with Japanese leaders and churches, American churches and organizations, and theological seminaries. Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Korean United Church of Philadelphia, First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, and Sarang Community Church of Anaheim, California , were the first members of the CBS U.S. Advisory Board. In addition, strategic partnerships were developed with Reformed Theological Seminary and Covenant Theological Seminary.
After completing all but his dissertation, Michael returned to Japan in January 2004 with Pearl and their two daughters Hannah and Mikaela. They were joined by Gerry and Jessica Wheaton (and their sons), Soo Chung, Japanese staff workers Masaji Nakayama and Tom Shimatani and part-time staffer Rev. Yuzo Kurokawa.
Christ Bible Center (CBC, the lay training branch of CBI) was launched in April of 2004, and one year later, in April of 2005, Christ Bible Seminary first opened its doors. In May of 2005, CBS moved into its current location, Nisshin Christ Center, in a suburb of Nagoya.
Since its beginning, the CBI team has added numerous short- and long-term staff including Craig and Yumiko Chapin, Joseph and Juliet Kim, Kent and Irene Sumiya, Yasuyo Nakashima, Danielle Guevara, and Paul Kang.
In June of 2007, CBI re-launched the Heart & Soul ministry, a downtown outreach to young people.
In June of 2008, CBI in partnership with various churches launched a new English worship service called All Nations Fellowship.
CBS has been blessed with many godly and prominent scholars who have served as visiting professors teaching modular courses. These have included Dr. Robert Coleman, Dr. D.A. Carson, Dr. Bryan Chapell, Dr. Willem VanGemeren, and Dr. Robert M. Norris.
