Our OMF mission partners, David and Manuela Pawson, and their children, Esther, Gideon and Daniel, are returning to Japan in March 2025 to start a second four-year placement. Having completed a year on Home Assignment, catching up with family, friends and supporting churches, they will be moving to the city of Kazuno, located in Akita Prefecture in north-west Japan. They will be working to plant a church in Kazuno with the support of the Green Pastures Church in the neighbouring city of Odate, about a thirty-minute drive away from Kazuno.

A recommissioning service was held at St Philip and St James Church in February which enabled the congregation to reaffirm their commitment to supporting the Pawson family and to say their goodbyes and offer encouragement. Prior to this service David kindly answered some questions that we had put to him to learn a bit more about the strategy that he and Manuela are planning for church planting in Kazuno.

1. How is Christianity viewed in the area where you will be living/working and how will the Japanese culture impact your ministry?

''Generally speaking, Christianity has a difficult time in rural areas of Japan because there is a much greater emphasis on traditional religious beliefs and practices than in more urbanised areas. However, in Kazuno it might not be the same. When we visited the area in 2024 one of the villages just north of Kazuno had a number of statues of Catholic nuns and the nursery school there was called the “Mary Nursery School”. We have also heard reports that there was some sort of revival just before the WW2, but this was stamped out during the war. So, whilst we don’t know of any Christians living in Kazuno at the moment, there may be people whose parents or grandparents were believers''.

2. What initial resources will you have for planting the church and what do you think you will you need to support your mission?

''To begin with our main goal is to make contacts and get to know people in the community. From there we hope to start studying the bible with individuals and then eventually a small group. Thankfully, God has provided us with a house that would be well suited to doing this. Often houses in Japan are small and it is not always easy to host regular meetings but our house in Kazuno should have enough room to do so''.

3. What is your vision for the next four-year term in Japan and how has your previous experience influenced this?

''Our vision for this term in Japan is to see the start of a community of believers in Kazuno that will eventually be able to share the gospel with the people of northern Akita prefecture. Having worked in the OMF church plant in Hanamaki we were keen to continue this kind of work and we are very excited to be able to work alongside a Japanese church in this ministry''.

David and Manuela’s ministry will start with prayer walking around Kazuno. They are excited to hear what God has planned for them and ask that we pray with them for God to work in the hearts of the people in Kazuno.