Itoko Maeda was the first Japanese missionary commissioned by the United Christian Missionary Society (UCMS). She served in Japan, Bolivia, Brazil, and the United States, concluding her ministry as the Director of Interpretation for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Division of Overseas Ministries.
Maeda was born in Tokyo, Japan, on September 4, 1918 and was raised in a non-Christian family. She encountered Christianity when she entered the Margaret K. Long Girls’ School, a Disciples of Christ mission school in Tokyo. Upon her graduation, she worked at the school as an office helper and teacher for several years. She continued teaching in World War II, but worked in a factory from 1944 to 1945. After the war, she found a position as a counselor in a factory dormitory. She returned to teaching in 1948, and came to the United States to study in 1953. She earned her Bachelor of Religious Education from Eastern Mennonite College in 1954 and her Master of Religious Education from The College of the Bible in 1956.
In 1956, Maeda applied for missionary service with the UCMS. In 1957, she began working with Christian women’s organizations on the island of Okinawa; in 1965, UCMS commissioned her to work with the women of the United Church of Christ in Okinawa. During her ten years of service on Okinawa, she helped establish the Okinawa Christian Institute.
In the early 1970s, Maeda was missioned to San Paulo, Brazil to further the work of the Federation of Japanese Churches in Brazil. She visited and preached at Japanese churches in Brazil, and she developed ecumenical programming throughout South America. She also developed Sunday school curricula. In 1976, she worked at a rural Bolivian Christian school that served indigenous children.
After Maeda returned to the United States in 1977, she took up work supporting global missions. In 1983, she became the Director of Interpretation, assuming responsibility for engaging and educating congregations about mission work. Maeda also taught Japanese language at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and provided spiritual guidance to Japanese Americans living in Indianapolis. She died on July 24, 2008.
The Historical Society is honored to have the Itoko Maeda papers (PP-00140) in its collection. Her papers consist primarily of correspondence and reports documenting her mission work and her interactions with UCMS and the Division of Overseas Ministries. Researchers will also find photographic prints of Maeda, biographical information, and personal correspondence in the papers.