The Japan Ecclesia of Christ (日本キリスト召団, Nihon Kirisuto Shōdan) is an independent Japanese church that was founded by Koike Tasuo (小池辰雄) in 1940.
He became attracted to Christianity as a young man as a result of attending the Bible lectures of Uchimura Kanzō, the well-known founder of the Nonchurch movement.
After his conversion, he attended a Nonchurch Bible study group led by Takeshi Fujii, one of Uchimura's disciples, for a period of five years (1925–1930).
[1] in 1940 Koike established his own independent Bible study group based on the Nonchurch tradition.
[2] This interpretation of Christianity was deeply influenced by Koike's experience of spirit baptism in 1950, while participating in a special evangelistic meeting with Teshima Ikurō, the charismatic founder of the Original Gospel movement.