I’ve had the privilege of pastoring the Akigawa Baptist Church family since 2015, and have been serving here since 2003. It’s an absolute joy to be a part of such a great family!
I came to Japan with my parents when I was less than a year old. Having grown up in Japan, I have always had a love for all things Japanese. When I was around 6 years old, I remember distinctly a night when I could not sleep because of the heavy weight of my sinfulness against God. That night, I repented of my sin, and put my faith in Jesus to forgive me, and to save me. God has been very merciful to me, and even as a young teenager, He was gracious in showing me my path in life: to be a missionary back to Japan, so I that I would have the opportunity to share the glorious grace of God with the people I love .
While in America for Bible college to receive training, God again showed me his love and grace by bringing Bethany, who also had a desire to live for God as a misisonary, into my life. We married in 1997, and in 2003, we came to Japan with our then two children, Tyler and Brianah. (Our youngest son Asher was born in 2012 as an answer to many years of prayer for another child.)
My parents, Pastor Dave and Glenda, were in the beginning stages of starting Akigawa Baptist Church, and they helped us immensely while we as a family settled in to live in Japan and to serve the people that God has entrusted to us.
In April of 2015, pastor Dave resigned as pastor in preparation for retirement, and our church family lovingly chose to give me the great privilege of becoming their pastor. Bethany and I both have a deep love for our church family, and have great joy in being able to serve them in the care of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
My Dream for Akigawa Baptist Church
It is my great desire that we as a church will grow in our love for Jesus, and in turn, our love for each other, and those around us. I pray that the more we know Jesus and the more we understand His great love for us, that we will respond by loving Him more and more. And that we would also respond to His love for us by loving those whom He loves; our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as those for whom He died, that have not believed in Him yet.
