The Oriental Mission Society

Oriental Mission Society (OMS), now One Mission Society, is a Christian missionary organization founded in 1901 that aimed for the spread of the gospel across Asia, with an emphasis on Japan and East Asia. Starting in Japan as his and Lettie's primary mission field through the work of their friend Ernest A. Kilbourne, its original dream centered on the rich people groups of Asia but later over the years grew to include parts of a number of other nations. To date, early OMS work was very much modeled upon the Cowmans obsession with evangelism, church planting and training local leaders to take it from there.

Founding and Early History

This organization started in an era where Western missionaries were turning their attention toward Asia, referred to as the "Orient" by many Western Christians at that time. Moved by the immediate desire for missionaries in Japan, the Cowmans and Kilbourne responded becoming a driving force as catalyst scenes spread across other areas. AB: Its mission was to share the message and work of Christ through ministry, preaching, teaching, literature, and later media for all members of society.

Like many missionary societies, the Oriental Mission Society had to contend with difficulties inherent during its early years, such as language learning, culture shock and financial inability. Even so, OMS made headway in Japan by emphasizing home evangelism while empowering Japanese converts to take the lead in their own outreach.

Charles and Lettie Cowman, Our Authors Today

A former businessman named Charles Cowman, along with his wife Lettie, provided the energy that turned OMS into a movement. Their commitment was to do more than preach the gospel—they sought to establish sustainable Christian communities and infrastructure that would live on after they had departed. One of the books that Lettie Cowman is probably best known for is her well-known devotional book called “Streams in the Desert,” written during her husband Charles long sickness years later. The book found international readership, embodying the missionaries steadfastness in faith against hardship.

Through her writing and focus on the mission field, Lettie Cowman was an inspiration to many missionaries and Christians who needed spiritual encouragement. This book continues to be read today and served to garner interest in, and funding for, the mission as OMS grew.

Expansion Across Asia

Once settled into Japan, OMS expanded their outreach into Asia by taking their mission work to China, Korea, and India. Everywhere OMS planted a new field, the formula was the same: raise local leaders, train them as pastors, and plant churches led by indigenous people. This model provided a strong enough base for OMS that would still be sustainable, but not dependent on Western missionaries going forward. These activities also helped the society mission expand quickly as they set up Bible schools, distributed Christian literature and trained ministers.

This quality helped the society to have a holistic ministry, addressing not only spiritual needs but also responding to social and educational initiatives which were pressing in the local context. Part of this consisted of lending a hand during crises, such as in the Korean War when OMS not only offered aid to refugees and war victims, but also continued preaching the gospel.

Growth of Infrastructure and Upgrading after the War

After World War II, the Oriental Mission Society understood that expanding and adapting to a changing world was essential. With the wave of independence in various regions from colonial control, OMS redirected its vision to focus on developing local leadership, reducing foreign funding and personnel. It also started serving in Latin America, Africa, and Europe before changing its name to One Mission Society to emphasize its worldwide mission.

Today, OMS is still active in over 70 countries around the world planting churches, training leaders, distributing Bibles, and providing humanitarian assistance through 100+ different ministries. It was initially used for global evangelifation efforts as part of the Orianital Mission Society, which has continued tobring Christianity to a diversity of peoples and founded sustainable unconvolutoby todayery membered Christian commlcreenes.