TOKYO MULTICULTURAL CHURCH

TMC Applies for EFC Japan Church Membership

On Dec. 30, Dale submitted TMC’s Evangelical Free Church of Japan (EFCJ) membership application. We at TMC have always been an informal part of the EFCJ, especially the Kanto (greater Tokyo) South District. But this application moves us toward becoming an official EFCJ church. By Jan. 10 the EFCJ Board had approved our application. So during the Feb. 1-3 EFCJ Annual General Meeting, delegates from the approximately 70 EFCJ churches will vote whether to accept TMC as its newest member. Dale will be attending in order to represent TMC, taking two others from TMC with him.

Dale has been informed by the chairman of the Tokyo Central City Ministry, a group of 24 EFCJ churches, that once TMC becomes an EFCJ church, they would like to help us find a Japanese pastor for our Japanese ministries. They might also be able to financially support this Japanese pastor. PTL!

Becoming an official EFCJ church is an important step in TMC’s journey toward becoming established. But it is just a step in that direction. TMC is still a church plant. The Lord has raised up a full-time Chinese ministries pastoral couple for TMC, and as a result TMC is seeing its Chinese ministries grow. Hopefully a full-time English pastor will arrive at TMC this summer. But a full-time Japanese pastor is still required. In addition, someone among the TMC pastoral staff needs to take overall church leadership. So although we’d like to pass the leadership baton at TMC, it looks like our mostly remote leadership will be required for a while yet.

TMC’s Story Published in "Japan Harvest”

TMC’s history and vision is described by Dale in an article he wrote for the missionary community in Japan. It was published in "Japan Harvest” (Dec 2025), the magazine of Japan Missionary Association. Read the article here.

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Dale Unexpectedly Resumes Seminary Teaching in Tokyo

From 2001-2024 Dale taught “Modern Theology” in Japanese at Japan Bible Seminary in Tokyo. He was pleased to be able to pass that baton in Dec. 2024. However, the younger Japanese theologian who replaced him sadly and suddenly died in Nov. 2025. So Dale has agreed to resume teaching for at least the 2026 academic year (Apr 2026 - Mar 2027). As before, this class for final year seminary students will be in modular format in June and October during the first semester (Apr - Oct 2026).

Japan Bible Seminary Principal Featured in Christianity Today Article

Izumi Akasaka, JBS Principal (Academic Dean), emphasizes ministry faithfulness rather than success when interviewed for an article in Christianity Today titled, "Growth Is Good. Survival Is, Too.” (March/April 2025). The article highlights the challenging statistics about Japanese churches and pastors. And it mentions that Japan is known as a “missionary graveyard,” meaning missionary dreams are likely to die in Japan.

The article continues by mentioning possible hope for Japan sourced in the relatively new Japanese phenomenon of ethnic churches. Diaspora immigrants might have the potential of carrying the gospel forward in Japan—if they can be discipled to see themselves as witnesses for Jesus. We have understood this since launching TMC in 2013 and have looked forward to seeing Japanese churches warmly welcome the foreigners God is scattering to Japan. Perhaps that day is dawning. We look forward to our next meal with Izumi and his wife!

2025 FINANCIAL SUPPORT UPDATE

Our 2025 donor numbers show that our ministry budget of CAD$101,000 or USD$74,000 has been met. This budget provides us with a half-time salary and ministry expenses. A big thank you if you are on our support team!…especially those that have stayed with us in our mission agency move from EFC Canada ServeBeyond to Christar Canada. Without you we could not continue our ministry of trying to set up a multiethnic, multilingual church planting framework for TMC.

PRAYER ITEMS

• GIVE THANKS that the EFC Japan Board approved TMC’s application for EFCJ membership. PRAY that at the EFCJ Feb. 1-3 Annual General Meeting, TMC will be voted in as the EFCJ’s newest church.
  
• PRAY for a good trip to Japan for Dale, Jan. 29 - Feb. 5. PRAY that he will be able to make fruitful connections for TMC with EFCJ pastors.
  
• GIVE THANKS for TMC’s full-time Chinese ministries pastoral couple, David & Lina. PRAY that the Lord will raise up a full-time Japanese pastor. PRAY that Matthew & AiHua will be able to come to TMC this summer from Malaysia as full-time English pastoral couple. GIVE THANKS for part-time pastoral staff: Bob (English), Kevin (Chinese), and Jon & Laura (Japanese).
  
• PRAY that overall TMC leadership might increasingly be taken by pastoral staff. GIVE THANKS that some administrative tasks are now being done voluntarily by two TMC ladies.
  
• PRAY for Dale’s resumption of teaching “Modern Theology” at Japan Bible Seminary this year. GIVE THANKS that he enjoys the teaching. PRAY that JBS will be able to find a theologian to replace him next year.