Charles LaFayette Brown, born in North Carolina, lived from 1874 to 1921; during his brief life, he spent 1898 to 1916 mostly in Kyushu, and mostly in Kumamoto, working as the head of the Japan Lutheran Theological Seminary. After returning to America, he was sent to Africa, where he died, in Liberia, of typhoid. If interested in the history of early Lutheran missionaries in Japan, please see the attached link (PDF). His missionary work was closely intertwined with his belief in education, and what resulted was Kyushu Gakuin (九州学院), today encompassing both a junior and senior high school (Disclaimer: Both of my children attended both.) It is considered upper-middle in terms of academic rigor; however, due to the presence of American missionaries as English teachers, it is the closest to an “international” school that Kumamoto has. (And, being Lutheran, they offer Christianity as a sort of study area and never push dogma.) In 1925, a church was completed on the school grounds named Brown Chapel. It remains one of the oldest Christian structures in Kyushu. (Photos below) There will be a special service Sunday, 12/24, at Brown Chapel from 10:30 and another service in the evening at the main church, just across the lane, from 7:00 PM. All are welcome. Please PM for more information. - William