Japan Missionaries
"..to Share the Gospel with the People in Japan."

 

CURRENT MISSIONARIES

Michael and Chris Mason - 1997 to present

Michael and Chris are career missionaries, serving at Sakai International Bible Church (SIBC) in Sakai City, a suburb of Osaka, in Japan. They arrived in Japan in Spring of 1997, and in 1999 became associate pastors or SIBC. In 2001, they were ordained as ministers and installed as the head pastors of SIBC.

Besides preaching every week (in English), they are also involved in teaching English, leading worship, teaching Sunday School, hosting a Home Group, discipling believers and doing a myriad of administrative duties in the church office.

Michael and Chris are also proud parents of their son Luke, who was born in 2000.

For more information on the Masons, please visit their web page at www.masonsinjapan.com or their church web page at http://www.sibcjapan.com/.

James Ogata - 1993 to present
James Ogata started ministry in 1999 at Machida Christian Center (MCC) in Tokyo. James taught conversational English classes and helped minister at the church. In December, 2000, he had a 3-month term teaching English at private evangelical school in Manaus, Brazil, working with Rev. Tomoyuki Nakada.

James Ogata served at Scion Grace Chapel in Hokkaido from 2001 until June 2003 teaching English as well as other church activities. While there, he lived in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido. He also helped with ministry in Mikasa Christ Church in Hokkaido. James married his wife Sachiko in 2003 and they served together at New Life Church Omochanomachi from November 2003 to April 2004. Next, James and Sachiko went to Izumi Hope Chapel in Osaka Prefecture in 2004 and served for two years. Since spring 2007, James began serving again at Machida Christian Center. James is originally from the Los Angeles area from Union Church of Los Angeles.  

Lily Suzuki - 2000 to present

Lily Suzuki’s home residence is in Canada. From July 2000 to June 2003, she was serving at Machida Christian Center in Tokyo, where she was involved in witnessing and many church activities, as well as teaching English. She served at New Life Church Omochanomachi for one year. She currently serves in a new ministry of JEMS in Amakusa, Kyushi region in Southern Japan. To read her prayer letters, please go to http://www.praise-god.com/

  

Kevin West - 2004 to present

Nozomi Ando West - 2007 to present

Since July 2004, Kevin has been serving together with Chigasaki Holiness Church near Yokohama. He is also involved in ministry at Hagizono Church. Kevin's main ministry is called J-Lodge, "J" stands for Jesus. J-Lodge is a coffee shop designed to reach out to the college students at Tokai Univeersity in the town of Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. In spring 2007, Kevin and a volunteer worker for J-Lodge, Nozomi Ando were married. For additional information, please visit www.kevinwest.org

 

Matsue (Sue) Abe - 2005 to present

Sue has been serving in Amakusa since 2005 to work with Lily Suzuki. Her background in education helps the team reach out to the community in this island with the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

 

Past Missionaries

David and Eleanor Shimahara - 2005-06

JEMS sent Eleanor and David Shimahara to New Life Church Omochanomachi in Tochigi Prefecture for a one-year short-term mission assignment. They are definitely a blessing from the Lord, as a replacement was sought for a departing JEMS worker.

The timing of the Shimahara’s application had to be a divine act from God. A notice was sent out in December 2004 looking for two workers, at least one with experience in teaching English as a Second Language, and less than a month later, the Shimaharas called. From their end, the Shimaharas were looking for a ministry to serve in Japan, and were ready to go!

Eleanor and David were from Orange Coast Free Methodist Church in Costa Mesa. Eleanor is a retired teacher, and David is a retired firefighter. Both have been involved in mission trips to Brazil and Mexico, and David once did a mission trip to Haiti.