Praise the Name of the Lord.

My name is Yoshikazu Nonoyama, currently a pastor, previously a graduate of Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary in Japan. I have heard of the opening of the Andrew Murray Centre for Spirituality in Wellington, South Africa. I pray that it will be richly blessed.

I came to know Rev. Andrew Murray through his books that have been translated into Japanese. The first book of his that I read is titled The Ministry of Intercession. It seems that many of his books were translated into Japanese during the 1970s and 1980s. However, in a country like Japan, where Christians are a minority (only 1%), such books are not published in large quantities and therefore go out of print quickly. Rev. Murray’s books are mostly available secondhand, but if one browses through church bookshelves, there is often a chance of finding a few of them. Particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, churches in Japan became more familiar with him and his works.

Since 2016, however, several of Murray’s books have been republished and resold. It was during this period that I came across The Ministry of Intercession. Through this book, I learned anew about the power of prayer, and I remember being deeply moved by it and encouraged to pray more. In fact, I was so overwhelmed by the book’s content that I even gifted a copy to a young Christian friend. Moreover, I developed a desire to read more of Rev. Murray’s books. While searching for information, I came across a website where someone had officially shared a trial translation of his book Absolute Surrender. Unfortunately, that website is no longer available, but while it was, I read the first few chapters of Absolute Surrender repeatedly.

At that time, I was struggling to commit fully to the conviction that had been growing in my heart for several years—namely, to make a complete surrender to God. I kept postponing the matter, offering various excuses. However, as I read the book, my understanding of what it means to make such a surrender changed and was renewed. I came to realize that this decision could not be made through my own strength. My previous attempts had been driven by self-reliance. Ultimately, it was Absolute Surrender that gave me the decisive push to fully commit and dedicate myself to God.

I grew up in an evangelical church, which makes it all the more remarkable that I, with no Reformed background, graduated from Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary. It would bring me great joy if you took note of this testimony: that here in faraway Japan, and many generations after Rev. Murray’s time, there is someone whose life has been profoundly impacted by his influence. I am grateful to the Lord for raising up such a giant of faith.

“God does not ask you to give perfect surrender in your strength,

or by the power of your will; God is willing to work it in you.”  – uit Absolute Surrender–