One Mission Society

Born on March 13, 1868, Charles E. Cowman grew up in a religious family. At 15, he left home for a job in telegraphing. He married Lettie Burd in 1889. After living in Colorado for a year, they spent the next ten years in Chicago where Charles continued his work in telegraphy. In 1894 Charles Cowman began his work as a missionary, preaching to co-workers [3]

The Cowmans moved to Japan in 1901 to work with Juji Nakada. In 1918, the Cowman’s returned to America due to Charles' health issues. He spent his final years in physical pain and died in 1924.[4]

Lettie Cowman

Born on March 3, 1870, Lettie Burd met her future husband when she was a baby, and again when they were teenagers.

After moving to Chicago, they heard A.B. Simpson, founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, give a missionary challenge. They then decided to dedicate their lives to missionary work and trained at Martin Wells Knapp’s God’s Bible School in Cincinnati.[5]

In 1925, she wrote Streams in the Desert [6] about her work and the hardships she experienced, specifically when Charles' health was rapidly declining. She wrote several other books, including a history of her husband the beginnings of the OMS.[7] In 1928 she became the third president of OMS and held this post until 1949. She continued writing and public speaking up to her death on April 17 1960.[8]

Juji Nakada and Wife

Born on October 29, 1870, Juji Nakada was a rebellious youth. His decision to enter missionary work was influenced by a life-long mentor, Reverend Yoichi Honda.[3] Nakada went to the US to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and returned to Japan as an evangelist. Cowman, who had been helping Nakada financially, received news of Nakada's participation in several mass conversions. Cowman and Nakada established the Tokyo Bible Institute, with Nakada serving as the first president. The institute was used for classes during the day and evangelism in the evenings.

An OMS-published book No Guarantee but God writes of Nakada, "It was not surprising that he was sometimes charged with being domineering, even dictatorial. But by the great majority of Christians, both laymen and clergy, he was held in respect that approached awe."[3]

Nakada died on September 24, 1939.

Ernest Kilbourne and family

Ernest A. Kilbourne was born on March 13, 1865, in Ontario, Canada. He was brought up in a Methodist home, but after moving to the US as a teenager to work for the Western Union, his religious upbringing was quickly forgotten. He moved to New York at age 21 and then traveled to Australia, Europe, and New Zealand, settling for a very short time into a job as a telegraph operator in Nevada. He met his future wife, Julia Pittinger and after they were married, Kilbourne transferred to the Chicago office where he met Charles Cowman, who was responsible for his conversion.

In 1902, he and his family went to Japan to continue the work that had been started by the Cowmans and Nakada.

When Cowman died, he became the second president of the organization. Kilbourne died in 1928. He and Julia had three children, who all became OMS missionaries.[9]

Electric Messages