Japan: The passing of time can cause us to forget the sacrifices made by those who have gone before. This month, we remember a young Nazarene missionary family who, during their short term of service on the Asia-Pacific Region, made an eternal investment. May the reminder of that investment drive us to pray for the expansion of God’s Kingdom in this nation. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).

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Charles and Billie Jean Melton

Charles Melton was born in Charleston, West Virginia, on January 31, 1936. During his U.S. military service, he spent time in Asia and as a result of some harrowing experiences, came to a true faith in Christ. When he returned to the U.S., he was sent to Camp Pendleton in San Diego, where he began attending a Nazarene Church in Encinado, CA, There Charles met his future wife, Billie Jean Lewis. Billie Jean’s father was the pastor of the church and they were married there in 1956.

The Meltons felt a call to pastor and later to serve as missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Charles graduated from Trevecca Nazarene (College) University while working at a hospital. While there, they attended the Clarksville Church of the Nazarene.

The Meltons in their early years of ministry in Japan.

After graduation, the Meltons spent a couple of years pastoring in Burnwell, West Virginia, as they gained further experience and prepared for missionary service. Rev. Charles and Billie Jean Melton were assigned as missionary teachers to Japan Christian Junior College (JCJC) in Chiba, Japan.  They left for the field in July 1961 along with their two children, Walter and Clarisa. Their youngest daughter, Michelle, was born in Tokyo. The Meltons’ first few years were spent studying the language, in addition to teaching classes at JCJC.

The Meltons with Japanese Nazarenes.

The Japan district had started to plant a new church in the area and the Meltons became enthusiastic supporters of the effort. By that time, the Meltons had been in Japan for 5 years, and were starting their 6th year. They were scheduled to be on their Home Assignment but opted to stay on longer to meet some pressing needs on the field.

In order to further expand their missionary outreach, Charles had started taking flying lessons. In July, he traveled to the southern Japanese island of Okinawa to gain some solo practice time. But on July 13, he did not return from his fourth solo flight. A severe storm and mountainous terrain made an immediate search impossible. When the weather cleared, searchers found the crash site along with Charles’ body. He was 30 years old. ¹

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A funeral service was held on July 16. Rev. Melton’s ashes were placed in a local memorial garden area owned and maintained by the Nazarene Church in the Kodaira Cemetery outside of Chiba, Japan. Charles’ grieving wife and their three children returned to the U.S..

Two years later, the members of Oyamadai and Yokohama Nazarene churches successfully planted a church in the Shonan area. Memorial funds given by West Virginia District and family and friends in memory of Charles helped to purchase the land, and the construction of the building for the Fujisawa Church of the Nazarene began on Sept. 29, 1968. The site was 11 miles west of Yokohama, and 28 miles southwest of Tokyo. Construction was completed the next year and the congregation continued to grow.

At the church’s 10th anniversary, the Fujisawa Church was given a second name, The Melton Memorial church, in honor Charles and the Melton family.²

Following the death of Charles, Billie Jean returned to the United States. “She obtained her teaching degree from Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA where she taught in the local elementary school for 17 years. From an early age Billie Jean had a deep desire to become a pastor. Upon retiring from teaching she was able to fulfill that dream, earning her Divinity Degree from Boston University, and becoming an ordained Elder in the West Ohio conference of the United Methodist Church.”³

Rev. Billie Jean Melton passed away on February 13, 2015 at the age of 76, leaving behind, in the words of Charles’ sister, “a heritage of awesome Christian people who love and serve the Lord.” ⁴  Of the Meltons’ children: Walter is married with two sons and is living in Maryland. Clarisa is a teacher in Olathe, Kansas. Michelle is a pastor’s wife with five children and resides in Birmingham, NY.

Rev. Charles Melton’s tomb in Japan.

Today, in the Kodaira Cemetery, Japan, in a peaceful Nazarene memorial garden, are the ashes of a young Nazarene missionary, Rev. Charles Melton. The carefully maintained garden includes the remains of other Japanese Nazarene pastors and lay-people. Although the Meltons’ physical ministry in Japan was cut short 50 years ago this month by Charles’ unexpected passing, only eternity will tell the lives touched as a result of their years in Japan and the ongoing faithful ministry of the Fujisawa Church of the Nazarene, “The Melton Memorial Church.”

Prayer Focus:

• Pray for Rev. Sekiya and the Fujisawa Church of the Nazarene, “The Melton Memorial Church”, as they proclaim the transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only 2.2% of the population in Japan profess to be followers of Jesus. (https://joshuaproject.net/countries/JA )
• Pray that more young people in Japan will hear God’s call to serve as pastors, church planters, and missionaries, and will receive the necessary training.

— Submitted by Dave Hane, Asia-Pacific Personnel Coordinator, with contributions from:

•  Mr. Marty Egashira (Japan NCM Coordinator, member of the Asia-Pacific Regional Advisory Council)
• Rev. Sekiya (Current pastor of the Fujisawa Church of the Nazarene, “The Melton Memorial Church”)
• The Melton family
• Nazarene Global Mission Personnel Office

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Footnotes:

¹Article from “The Nazarene Weekly, July 31, 1966 First Church of the Nazarene, Nashville, TN

² “Rev. C..Melton and Fujisawa church”, by Mr. Shuich Sakai, from the 10th anniversary book of Fujisawa Nazarene Church

³http://www.barbermemorialhome.com/notices/RevBillie-Melton<http://www.barbermemorialhome.com/notices/RevBillie-Melton>

⁴ April 7, 2016 email from Mrs. Sheila Stovall