Wataru and Ryoko Sugahara Japan Japan Three young G.I. Open Bible Institute students were drawn back to the land where they were stationed during the war. The Phil Rounds, Jacob Collins and Eddie Karnes families were sent as missionaries to Japan in 1950. The work was nationalized in 1967 when the Rounds family returned to the States. As of January of 2021, Open Bible has 18 churches with 662 members and 43 credentialed ministers. The Open Bible church in Kobe began an English Academy in 1980. This ministry teaches English as a second language, using the Bible as the text. Only 1% of the population is evangelical Christian. The door stands open for evangelizing the "Land of the Rising Sun." In August 2005 the Open Bible Churches of Japan celebrated their 50th anniversary. The ministry is blessed with dedicated, anointed ministers and leaders who are boldly proclaiming the gospel. The churches are also blessed with a large number of young people who are very active in the church. Wataru Sugahara is the field director.