Osaka, Japan Keswick Convention 2013

Roger Willmore, senior pastor of Deerfoot Baptist Church in Trussville, Alabama and Reverend Ryo Iwahashi, pastor in Osaka and chairman of Japan International Food for the Hungry preaching in the 2013 Osaka Keswick Christian Life Convention.


Pastor Ryo and I have been friends since 2008.  He has translated for me many times.
He is a great friend, pastor, leader, missonary and translator.

Japan Keswick Conventions

I was introduced to the ministry of the Keswick Christian Life Convention when I was 16 years old. The Keswick teaching became foundational in my understanding of the Christian life. From the very first I had a deep love for the Keswick ministry and even for the Lake District town in the North of England for which the convention is named...Keswick, England. In 1975 I was privileged to attend the 100th anniversary convention in Keswick, England for the first time. The influence of "Mother Keswick" is seen around the world. For over 27 years there was an annual Keswick Convention, held each year in March, right here in Birmingham, Alabama. During that same period of time there were several conventions in the USA and many Keswick Conventions around the world. I have been blessed to with the privilege of preaching in conventions in the USA,Trinidad & Tobago, India,Haiti and Japan. The Japan Keswick still holds to many of the founding guidelines of the English Keswick. For over fifty years Keswick has played a vital part in the ministry of the evangelica church in Japan. Each year in February there are a series of Keswick Conventions across the country. Typically there will be two or three foreign speakers coming from USA, England, India and Australia, along with Japanese preachers. I was blessed to preach in Japan Keswicks in 2008, 2012 and 2013. Dr. Stephen Olford was a regular preacher in the Japan Keswicks before his death in 2004. I still have clear and fond memories of his reports when he and Mrs. Olford would return to Memphis from a series of Japan Keswick Conventions. He was always greatly impressed by the prayerful attention given to every detail of the convention ministry. I have preached in Japan five times since 2008, and I am always blessed by thier prayer preparation, presentation and emphasis on the proclaimation of God's Word. My objective for this blog is simply to inform those who have an interest in Keswick that Japan has a fifty year history with the Keswick ministry. In 2015 Osaka Keswick will celebrate its 50th anniversary. I also want to take this opportunity to express my own encouragement to the faithful men and women of God associated with Keswick in Japan and encourage them to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. And also to thank them for their witness to me. I am greatly encouraged by their faithfulness to the Lord. I am posting some Japan Keswick information from my own files. Again, let those who follow Keswick know that Keswick is going strong in Japan. With Love and Respect to my Friends in Japan, Roger D.Willmore

Sendai, Japan



Hiroshima, Roger and Timothy in Sendai after visiting areas
hard hit by the tsunami.  Here we are looking at pictures of the
orginal devastation.

I have just returned from ministry in Japan. It was once again my privelege to speak in Japan Keswick Christian Life Conventions in Sendai, Osaka and Kyoto. 

It was good to be with pastor friends, Hiroshima and Timothy again.  Timothy traveled with me from Tokyo to Sendai.  He and Hiroshima took me to see the areas hardest hit by the tsunami.  This is now two years later and the affect of the tsunami is still very evident.  I visited with one pastor who was directly involved with the great loss of life and property.  He is still emotionally and spiritually affected by his experience.  My heart broke for him and for all who suffered tragic loss.

This picture shows us looking at Hiroshima's pictures of the devastation shortly after the tsunami.  It was an overwhelming thing to see.

Pray for our brothers and sisters in Japan.  They are faithful servants of God who love the Lord Jesus and are serving Him faithfully in their part of the world.  Pray especially for the continued recover of the tsunami stricken area.