| abstract |
This study examines the structural crisis of the Japanese Protestant church, which remains below 0.4% of the population and continues to experience decline, aging, and social isolation. It argues that the primary cause lies not in methodological shortcomings but in the APC paradigm (Attractional-Propositional-Colonial operating system) shaped during the modernist era. This paradigm stands in tension with Japan's cultural codes—wa consciousness, group belonging, and shame orientation—and fails to engage the experiential, participatory, image-rich, and connective modes of communication characteristic of postmodern Japanese society.
As an alternative, the study proposes an integrated MRI-EPIC model: the MRI operating system (Missional-Relational-Incarnational) and the EPIC interface (Experiential-Participatory-Image-rich-Connective). MRI reframes church identity from "come" to "go," community from propositional assent to relational discipleship, and approach from colonial assimilation to incarnational presence within specific communities. EPIC functions as the cultural interface that translates this operating system into forms resonant with postmodern sensibilities.
A qualitative case study conducted at Aishin International Christian Church (AICC) in Nagoya—based on 4.5 years of participant observation and six months of focused data collection—illustrates this dual transition. Findings indicate: (1) AICC's movement from APC to MRI unfolded gradually through crises, revealing paradigm change as a processual journey; (2) the three MRI elements operate in a perichoretic circular relationship, each presupposing and reinforcing the others; and (3) MRI and EPIC form a mutually reinforcing dynamic in which the operating system is embodied and culturally translated through EPIC, while EPIC experiences deepen and expand MRI content.
The study contributes to church renewal discourse by shifting attention from methodological adjustment to the transformation of both operating system (OS) and interface (UI). This framework reconfigures the church's identity, communicative posture, and cultural engagement, offering an analytical tool for congregations navigating postmodern contexts. It concludes that sustainable renewal requires a paradigm shift from APC to MRI‑EPIC, supported by a practical three‑stage roadmap of Diagnosis, Introduction, and Inculturation.
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