Worship & Music
by Andy Chen
The Worship & Music Ministry Team coordinates the necessary arrangements for the public worship services and the music program of Tokyo Union Church through the following groups:
Altar Guild, Audio Visual Team, Flower Arrangements, Lectorship, Sanctuary Choir, Union Praise Team and the Ushers group.
To carry out this work, we depend on the many dedicated volunteers who offer generously their time and talent.
Leaders and Staff
Council
Pastors and Officers
Héctor Herrera, Pastor
Joseph Park, Interim Associate Pastor
Catherine Sasanuma, President
Brad Schmidt, Vice-President
Ji Mu, Clerk
Elders
Naomi Kakinuma, Children, Youth & Families
Ulrike Hougaard, Community Life & Hospitality
Kanehira Mitani, Evangelism
Martha Gomez, Nominating 1
Russell Gesling, Nominating 2
Alison Harada, Personnel 1
Jackie Militello, Personnel 2
Ikuko Omori, Property & Technology
Peter Mathies, Spiritual Formation
Staff
Ximena Leroux, Pastoral Assistant for Youth & Children Ministry
Jonathan oh, Pastoral Assistant for Digital Ministry
JY Lee, Pastoral Assistant for Church History
Byron Walker, Youth & Children Director (~ July 2024)
Drix Apigio, Facilities Manager (~ July 2024)
Megumi Naito, Office Administrator
Katsunori Mikami, Accounting
Yuka Omi, Sanctuary Choir Director
Remi Yamazaki, Union Praise Team Director
Miwako Horii, Organist
Takako Hanabusa, Organist
Panmei Guiriangdinliu, Nursery Worker
Anna Yamaguchi, Nursery Worker
Shukyo Hojin
Junko Takahashi
Alison Birch
Mary Foster
Jody Fuller
Rika Nakajima
Ikuko Omori
Larry Mojumdar (Shuko Hojin Representative Director)
TUC Foundation, Inc.
John Mullins (Chairman)
Russell Gesling (Vice Chairman)
Brock McMunn (Secretary)
Joseph Dunkle (Treasurer)
Finance
by Brad Schmidt (Treasurer), Francois Keet (Elder), Joe Dunkle, Russell Gesling, Larry Mojumdar, Thomas Lu, Kats Mikami, Catherine Sasanuma, Julie Voskuil, & Pastor Héctor Herrera
Finance Team
The activities described in the annual report have been made possible by the existence and effective operation of two separate legal entities, the Shukyo Hojin of TUC and the Tokyo Union Church Foundation, Inc. (“TUCF”). Each is a fully self-funded and self-managed charitable institution. Consistent with prior years, the financial results in this report have been prepared by combining the financial information of these entities (collectively “TUC”).
The congregation determines operating priorities through the constitutionally prescribed directives, procedures, organizational structure and leadership selections. The congregation funds its operating priorities through regular tithing, loose donations, and designated gifts.
TUC is grateful to receive donations designated for specific purposes such as for Outreach including the Mission with Our Homeless Neighbors (“MOHN”) and for the rebuilding of TUC’s church building, however unrestricted giving is encouraged in particular as it helps fund important operating costs such as the salaries of pastors and staff and expenditures necessary to maintain the church building and the pastor’s manse.
The Finance Team monitors the short and long-term financial situation and offers recommendations as appropriate to help ensure that steps can be executed effectively in consideration of congregational priorities in a transparent manner.
Shukyo Hojin of TUC
Shukyo Hojin of TUC (“SKH”) supports TUC’s vision and integration in the community by assuring a legal entity status in Japan. SKH also takes charge of organizational financial transactions as a legal entity. SKH arranges the reports so that the Japanese authorities can understand the mission, vision, and activities of TUC. On April 18, 2024, the SKH approved the 2023 financial reports for submission to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Shibuya Tax Office.
Tokyo Union Church Foundation, Inc.
The Tokyo Union Church Foundation, Inc. is a Delaware 501c (3) non-profit corporation (Tax number 51-6024083) and files a 990-PF tax return with the Internal Revenue Service yearly. It allows United States taxpayers to make tax deductible donations.
The 2024 officers were, John Mullins (Chairman), Russell Gesling (Vice Chairman), Brock McMunn (Secretary) and Joseph Dunkle (Treasurer). The term of office is three years and the Board receives no compensation.
The members of the Investment Committee are John Mullins, Russell Gesling, Joseph Dunkle, Karl Koschnitzke, Finance Ministry Team Elder, and Treasurer.
Administration Ministry Team
by Catherine Sasanuma
After the 2022 year-long celebration of the Tokyo Union Church’s 150th anniversary, we began imagining what comes next. Based on a series of deep reflections and insightful discussions, we (the past and present Council, the pastors, Finance Committee and Communications Team members, and our amazing alumna Julie Voskuil) developed these three action pillars:
1) Writing TUC’s Complete History up to the present, as A Church for All Seasons describes our history only through 1980.
2) Connecting with our past through reconnecting with our TUC alumni.
3) Developing an Endowment for operating expenses.
In 2024, we continued working on these three pillars.
Pillar 1: History
To look to the future, we want to be grounded in the rich history of God’s faithfulness to us in the past. This history project started In August 2024. JY Lee joined the TUC’s staff to begin writing TUC’s history from 1980 to the present. He is uniquely qualified to take on the project. He was formerly a journalist and is currently a PhD student at Princeton Theological Seminary. He now spends half his time on the TUC history project and half on his doctorate work.
JY has met with many TUC members and has been speaking with many TUC alumni. To see the classes offered in 2024, please visit TUC’s YouTube channel , where you can find a series of classes JY has been teaching on TUC’s history. These in-depth classes are fascinating presentations on TUC’s unique story.
You should know the history project is funded by a special donation, and it does not come from our member pledges.
Pillar 2: Alumni
We want to build bridges with our alumni because we stand on the shoulders of the many TUC members who have faithfully served Christ here.
In 2024, JY began reaching out to alumni through the history project. He has interviewed many long-term members of the TUC congregation and a number of TUC alumni. These interviews will be used to write TUC’s history from 1980 to the present.
In 2024, we also began planning an important evangelical event that may specifically appeal to TUC alumni. We invited TUC alumna Min Jin Lee, author of the best-selling book Pachinko, a compelling and an important story about Japan and Korea, to speak.
Min Jin’s personal faith story is truly inspiring, and she has woven beautiful expressions of faith into Pachinko. The event will take place on April 13, 2025. Kane Mitani, our new Evangelism Elder, is taking the lead on this event. Min Jin Lee will be interviewed by JY and our longtime member, Kathy Matsui.
Pillar 3: An Endowment for Operating Expenses
Formerly, we had many executives with higher incomes, but now we don’t—so we are working to develop the Campaign for Tomorrow Endowment. This endowment will generate interest to help provide financial stability for TUC’s operating budget. Events such as the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami have also highlighted the need for a fund that gives the church greater stability.
We seeded the start of the Operating Endowment, called Campaign for Tomorrow, by transferring some funds from the U.S. TUC Foundation. The balance now stands at 122,832,376 yen at 12/31/2024. Our goal is for the fund to grow to 1.5 million dollars or 225,000,000 yen, so that each year it can spin off interest to support a portion of our operating expenses.
Children, Youth, & Family
by Vanessa Sihite & Ximena Leroux
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
Over the past twelve months, we have seen God at work among our students, teachers, volunteers, and parents—through times of learning and fellowship in Sunday School, as well as through the various events and programs we have hosted and organized.
Could you share the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
Here are some activities that we did from the Spring of 2024 to present:
Creation of Children's Book "Joy" by Byron Walker and Tomomi Sato.
This book was published in Easter 2024.
Youth Confirmation Retreat in Karuizawa
The retreat took place 26-29 April 2024 in Karuizawa, supported by parents and some YAG members.
Easter Good News For Kids Play
Byron Walker and some YAG members did the play.
Easter Egg Hunt event
Took place after the Easter Service
Angels and Flocks members participated in Easter Egg Hunt in Sanctuary and the 4th floor
Confirmation Sunday (5 May 2024)
We had the Confirmation Class of 2024 presented during the service, and youth members helping the service. (link)
Sunday School teachers, nursery workers, parents, and youth volunteers have faithfully contributed to a vibrant and Christ-centered children’s ministry.
In fall, we continued teaching essential Old Testament stories through a mix of Bible lessons, games, and crafts.
In the winter and spring seasons, we shifted focus to Gospel stories and teachings on the sacraments of Communion and Baptism.
“Rooftop Reflection” gatherings in the fall brought parents together for fellowship on the church balconies.
Cookie-decorating events were held for families during Advent and again on Valentine’s Day to foster intergenerational bonding.
Teens enjoyed a fun outing to Tokyo City Dome in late fall for movement and connection.
Young adults actively supported children’s ministry by writing and performing two seasonal plays—one at Easter and another at Christmas.
Our nursery is cared for by two experienced staff members, and parent volunteers continue to support Sunday School each week.
The year has been filled with meaningful collaboration, joyful learning, and faithful service across all age groups as we strive to live out Matthew 19:14.
Young Adult Group Ministry
by Pastor Joseph Park
Once again, we have been richly blessed this year with many new active members joining our Young Adults Group (YAG). YAG is a vibrant and colorful fellowship of college students and young professionals navigating adulthood. Whether you’re new to faith or a seasoned believer, TUC YAG aims to create an open and safe space where we can ask life’s important questions and share our stories.
Recognizing Tokyo as a transient and diverse community for young adults, YAG's central focus this year has been to foster a strong sense of community and deepen our connections with God and each other. To achieve this, the newly established YAG Committee collaborated to plan, organize, and manage our group’s activities. To enhance communication and coordination within the wider TUC community, we appointed two co-coordinators—Pastor Joseph Park and Sophie Wang—to act as organizers and liaisons between church leadership and the YAG community.
Truly embracing our church's value of being 'open to all,' we warmly invite everyone to join our weekly Bible studies, monthly fellowship meetings, and to take initiative in contributing to and shaping our fellowship. This collective participation and collaboration have transformed YAG into the thriving and inclusive community we cherish today.
Highlights from our activities this year include:
Autumn Potluck
Fall Retreat: Abide
Hanging of the Greens
Lunar New Year Celebration with Pastor Joseph at the Mini-Manse
Weekly Bible Study on the Book of Samuel, led by Sophie Wang
Winter Retreat: Manifest
Baptism of 4 YAG members in March 2025
Pastoral Team
by Pastor Héctor Herrera, Pastor Joseph Park, Jonathan Oh, Ximena Leroux, and JY Lee
Pastor Héctor Herrera
On behalf of the pastoral team, I would like to give a year-in-review of 2024.
It was a year of transition, as we had to say goodbye to both Byron Walker and Pastor Steve Yamaguchi. Byron served for one year - as an intern from Princeton Seminary - and helped us with youth and children’s ministry. Pastor Steve was our pastor, head of staff, for four faithful years. He did so much for the life of Tokyo Union Church, and he meant so much for me personally. We are so thankful for all that he did for us during his time. At the end, we were able to say sayonara to him and give him our blessings.
I also found myself right in the middle of this year filled with changes, transitioning from the position of associate pastor to that of pastor and head of staff at Tokyo Union Church. And with my appointment, I was able to call up a whole new team, the pastoral team that we have today.
We brought in an interim associate pastor, Pastor Joseph Park. We also called another intern from Columbia Theological Seminary, Ximena Leroux, as our pastoral assistant for Youth and Children. And we were able to think of something new, by continuing our history and documenting it by calling JY Lee, as our church historian, and really focusing our future and digital ministry by calling Jonathan Oh. And it was not only an important time of transition but also a meaningful time of collaboration as a team.
We also started the Associate Pastor Search Committee, where we had interviewed around thirty candidates; we are still finalizing our decision with two finalists. The process is expected to wrap up later this year.
The church also celebrated six marriages, eight baptisms, and many people becoming new members of Tokyo Union Church this past year, as we reiterated our identity as a growing community of believers in central Tokyo.
While there were some dynamic changes, there were some things that stayed the same. One of those was our average-in-person worship attendance. For over the last year, we had about 200 people joining us every week in person, and about 100 people watching us online.
There is one thing of note you should know about the people watching us online is that in the last 90 days, there have been 3,300 unique viewers who watched our content, and 789 among them are active returning viewers.
And with our website, we have reached 38,000 unique visitors. Of those, 60% were from mobile phones and 40% were from desktops (PCs). And they came from all 47 prefectures of Japan as well as all six habitable continents across the globe, from 100 countries. Of all these online engagements, 70% were from Japan, 15% from the USA, with ever-growing presence in Asia.
We have not only been a group that is committed to our past, but one that is actively thinking about where we are in the present, as well as leaning in to what God has in store for us in the future.
I am so thankful for all you’ve done to contribute to the life of the church at TUC. This, I hope, was a brief update of all the good things that God has done with the pastoral team.
Pastor Joseph Park
Over the past seven months, I've had the privilege of serving as an interim associate pastor at Tokyo Union Church. It's been an enriching experience filled with meaningful interactions and rewarding moments.
I've supervised our children and youth ministries, partnering closely with Ximena to create engaging, nurturing environments for our young members.
I've actively participated in our Young Adult Group, enjoying our Sunday gatherings and two retreats, which strengthened connections, encouraged spiritual growth, and built a stronger sense of community.
A highlight of my time was leading the baptism class in January, culminating in six adult baptisms in March—truly joyful and memorable events for our entire community.
In worship and preaching, I've deeply valued opportunities to share God's message through liturgy and sermons. It was an honor to share my personal testimony during last year's prayer and healing service.
Pastoral care has been central to my ministry, as I've counseled and prayed with over a dozen individuals, these were the moments that deeply shaped my understanding of pastoral service.
As part of the Spiritual Formation team, I helped plan leadership retreats and events. I'm currently leading the "Art of Lent" devotional, blending spiritual reflection with artistic expression to enrich our Lenten journey.
Behind the scenes, I've managed our church website and weekly updates, ensuring our digital presence reflects our vibrant community life.
Administrative responsibilities and participation in staff and council meetings have deepened my appreciation for the dedication and love each congregant brings. You are the heart sustaining our church's mission and operations.
It's been an honor and blessing to serve alongside you during this interim period. Thank you for welcoming me into your lives and allowing me to contribute to TUC's long and vibrant story.
Ximena Leroux
With joy, I present the report on the activities of Children and Youth Ministries at Tokyo Union Church this year.
Distinctive Aspect of our ministry is evident in the dedication of our Sunday School teachers and nursery workers, the commitment of the parents to instill Christian values in their children, the enthusiasm of the children for participating programs on the fourth floor, and the willing hearts of our youth to volunteer and connect with our Sunday School.
Building on the fantastic work by our previous directors last fall, we continued offering the lessons based on the essential stories of faith from the Old Testament, combining Christian educations with games and crafts to engage the children.
This winter and spring, we are focusing on stories from the Gospels, as well as teaching the children about the two sacraments entrusted to the church by Christ: Communion and Baptism.
We have a small yet faithful group of Sunday school teachers, who dedicate themselves to knowing, teaching, and loving the children in our ministry.
Two excellent, experienced nursery workers care for our toddlers and babies in our community. And we also enjoy participation from the parents who volunteer in the Sunday school.
In addition to the joyful routine of weekly Sunday School this year, our ministry has included special projects and events.
For Easter (last year), the children collaborated and published a bilingual storybook, “Joy,” which was well-received by the congregation. Also, the church staff and members gathered together for the annual Easter Egg Hunt for children.
And since the fall, we’ve gathered the parents together for fellowship and to support family connection. As such, we’ve held “a Rooftop Reflection event” for the parents, taking advantage of the beautiful fall weather on the church balconies.
And we invited the parents and children to two cookie-decorating events. One during Advent, and the other for Valentine’s Day.
To give teens a chance for fellowship and to have fun, we had a late fall outing to Tokyo City Dome.
Outstanding examples of cross-generational engagements include the participation of the young adult group in children’s ministry. Their participation led to the creation of two plays to proclaim the good news for kids, one during Easter and the other during Christmas season.
They also supported the retreat for Confirmation Class of 2024. And many members helped with the annual Easter Egg Hunt. It’s been my privilege to serve our church’s children, students, and teachers. And I am deeply grateful for your support and leadership. Together, we strive to embody the spirit of Matthew 19:14, welcoming children to Jesus, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Thank you.
Jonathan Oh
Hello, my name is Jonathan Oh, and I am the Pastoral Assistant for Digital Ministry at Tokyo Union Church. I’d like to give you a quick update on what’s been going on over the past year within the digital ministry, which is my area of responsibility.
One of the things we’ve been working on is finding a better way to serve our children’s ministry. Kids are really the ones at the center of our focus, and I want to make sure we’re serving them well. One of the biggest projects this year has been developing the TUC KidSAFE system. This system allows parents to pre-register their children and youth, so that we can contact the parents and know where their children are inside the TUC building through our check-in and check-out process. It’s currently in a testing phase, but we hope to expand it over time. This kind of system has been implemented in many churches around the world, and we’ve developed our own in-house version to meet the unique needs of our community.
We’ve also continued to work on the AV system. Over the past two years—especially since the pandemic—we’ve gone through many changes. We’ve now reached a point where our volunteers can work effectively with the equipment, but there are always ways to improve. We repurposed some of our existing equipment to make better use of the resources and funds that have been invested in different areas of the church. We’re currently making further improvements, and while those changes have led to some technical issues, that’s just part of the growing pains. Our hope is that these adjustments will enhance the worship experience—both in person and online.
Much of the work that is behind the scenes includes providing technical support for various ministries throughout TUC. Thankfully, I have been able to provide a lot of advice and support on a number of projects, such as the new project, “TUC presents… with Min Jin Lee,” which will continue in the spring of 2025.
Your prayer and support have been vital in the growth of our digital ministry. And I would kindly ask you to continue to pray for us, as we look for new ways to reach people for Christ through the digital space.
JY Lee
Hello, Tokyo Union Church. It’s been such a joy to serve alongside you as a Pastoral Assistant for Church History this year. I came here in August of 2024. In the fall, I began a history class which meets once every month. I taught a total of four classes, revisiting the church’s first history book, A Church for All Seasons.
In 2025, as I began to write a new church history book, I presented its first chapter in February. And in this month, I will be presenting the second chapter of the new church history book that will take us from 1980 to the present.
I’ve also had the honor of helping with worship during the first six months. I’ve preached several times, and I’ve also led other liturgical parts such as Prayers of the People and Good News for Kids. And one of my favorite parts of helping with worship has been empowering you to be more involved with worship.
I’ve been so thankful to Alison, Jimu, and Andy, for offering the prayers of the people. It’s also been a joy to work with you in the Lenten Devotional, as I received so many contributions from you. It brings me great joy to hear your voices and your thoughts on faith and wisdom.
I am happy to be extending my contract for another year and to stay at Tokyo Union Church until May 2026. After coming back from a summer away from Tokyo, I hope to produce a good history book that will bring joy to you and bring glory to God. As you continue to pray for me and the history book project, I hope to finish the first draft of the book by the end of December this year. Next year will be devoted to editing the draft.
So I need your help and stories, which will make this book possible, and any editorial suggestions are also welcome. Huge thanks to you once again for making my work here such a delight.
Spiritual Formation
by Peter Mathies
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the past year?
We have seen God at work through volunteers that work on God's behalf here among us:
Whenever our ministry team gathered to discuss the upcoming work, I was always amazed at how a few of us could develop plans for the Stewardship campaign. We were led to a new approach to Rally Day, with Julie's quilt, a composite video, and a question-and-answer panel in the sanctuary, bringing the Stewardship and Rally Day messages to the entire Congregation in attendance.
During the leadership retreat workshop, which involved learning, deep relationship building, and attunement to the Spirit, his presence was palpably felt among us.
Seeing the conviction and dedication of the Prayer & Healing team, ready to pray with and for members of the Congregation in need and their organization and delivery of the biannual Prayer services.
Could you share the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
1) Stewardship
The Stewardship Campaign 2024 was held over eight Sundays from October 6 through November 24 with the theme of "GIVING OUR WHOLE SELVES TO GOD - An ongoing journey of fuller dedication."
Again this year, Julie Fukuda handcrafted the now-annual "Stewardship Quilt," which captures and communicates this year's theme in a most beautiful way. We are grateful for her exquisite artwork.
Sunday sermons were dedicated to the themes of Active in Joyful Service (Oct 6), Integrated in Community, Caring for Creation, Time, Prayer (as part of the Prayer & Healing Service), Talent (Rally Day), and Treasure (Dedication Sunday).
Rally Day was designed differently this year. The main part of messaging was within the worship service, featuring a composite video that introduced ministry activities and a panel Q&R facilitated by the pastor that interviewed five representatives about their experience serving in their respective ministries.
Many congregants followed the invitation to further conversations with ministry team representatives and signed up for volunteer activities. The hospitality team supported these activities with an extra-special buffet.
2) Leadership Retreat-Workshop
At the beginning of March, we held a Leadership Retreat-Workshop for ministry team leaders, with the objectives of 'Guide and inspire leaders to develop joyful service and grow people' and 'Prepare leaders specifically for their role at a Rally Day Follow-up event scheduled for March/April.'
The half-day event provided ample time for learning to know each other at a deeper level, attuning to God's presence among us, and better understanding the 'Values and Identity of TUC' as well as the 'Roles and Structure of TUC Leadership.'
3) Spiritual Life
Prayer & Healing Ministry/Prayer & Healing Service: On Sundays, after the 11 am worship service, the Prayer and Healing Ministry Team members pray with those who request prayers. Twice a year, in spring and in fall, the team also organizes and holds a Worship Service with a focus on prayer and healing that provides time for all congregants to pray together within the service. This year's fall Prayer & Healing service was also part of the stewardship series highlighting the role of Prayer in stewardship: Time, Prayer, Talent, Treasure. (YouTube)
Prayer Chain: Prayer requests, mainly received online through the TUC Website, are quickly posted to the prayer chain. As necessary, the Prayer Chain coordinator contacts the pastors for a follow-up with those who post the prayer. The prayer chain is another way to stay in touch with current and past members.
Reading and Praying the Psalms: Participants meet once a week to read and meditate on a short scripture passage in the way of Ignatian Spiritual Exercises. The day of the meeting is, in fact, the last of a 'seven days - seven minutes' meditation practice that enlists our senses and the imagination to enter the scene described in the passage. We have spent most of the year reading the Gospel of Mark.
Group Lectio Divina with Pastor Joseph offers an opportunity to start the day with slow contemplative reading of a short Scripture passage. Digesting the word of God rather than studying is a metaphor that describes this ancient practice.
4) Adult Education
Daily Lenten Devotional: Reviving a TUC tradition of reading a gospel together during Lent, JY Lee coordinated a journey through Mark’s Gospel, guided by reflections from current and former TUC members and pastors.
A Lenten Pilgrimage: a weekly activity for church members to walk to various destinations near TUC in the spirit of pilgrimage.
The Art of Lent: Acclaimed author Sister Wendy Beckett guiding us on a Lenten journey by reflecting on the timeless beauty and insights of some of the world's greatest paintings, alongside her short meditations.
Atheism for Lent: In a less conventional approach, Peter Rollins encourages a practice of decentering during the season of Lent. This is an invitation into a journey of existential exploration.
Sermon Lab is a weekly gathering under the leadership of Pastor Joseph Park that meets on Tuesday evenings to read and discuss the scripture verses that will be preached on Sunday. Participants are encouraged to ask their questions and in turn can learn of various understandings in our diverse congregation. The Spirit speaks to us through the text of the scriptures as well as through the voices of one another.
TUC Friends Bible Study is a weekly study that meets Wednesday evening with Lorene Clemens as facilitator. Exploring several topics based on sermons by Pastor David Jeremiah the class most recently studied the nature of spiritual warfare and how to equip ourselves with the whole armor of God to stand firm in grace.
One-off event - Victorian Poetry - Led by Lilith Ayvazyan, this series delved into the profound themes of faith and love expressed in Victorian poetry. From heartfelt reflections on Christian devotion to the stirring echoes of romantic longing, we considered how 19th-century poets grappled with spiritual and emotional truths.
One-off event - Reconciliation - Keiko Holmes, a Christian who has devoted her life to a ministry of reconciliation, presented her work to promote reconciliation between Japanese people and Japan's former World War II prisoners of war. Her work has helped to heal and inspire thousands of people.
Member-led events: Members of the congregation find themselves and meet for Bible study, sharing of life, prayer/meditation, and fellowship (e.g. Women's Bible Studies and Mindfulness Meditations)
Property & Technology
by Ikuko Omori
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
We give thanks and praise to God as God has oversaw and protected us to keep the house of God safe, secure and sacred.
Could you list the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
Property and Tech ministry team experienced the transition of the building with live-in sexton to without. It required some modifications as below. ・ Security camera system was installed to monitor front and back entrance doors in the office. May 2025 ・Front Automatic door system was updated with less number of staff to manage.
Property and Tech ministry team worked to accommodate transition of pastoral staff members at Manse, Mini-manse, Nishiyama room and Sexton's apt at church over the summer. Physical moving required many volunteers and were provided. In order to update to furnish Manse, Mini-manse and Nishiyama room, good pieces of furniture were donated all by God's help. The kitchen at the Manse was fully renovated after 30 years of use since it's built. There was a leakage from A/C drain condensation caused by fundamental structure of the building. Many major or minor problems can come up along with aging of the building.
At the Manse we received a complaint from a neighbor about odor when the wood deck was repainted. We learned to be careful to choose materials especially in the crowded neighborhood like the Manse.
Quite noticeable leakage on the ceiling in the kitchen and hallway on 1st fl was found in September. It was caused by the old drain pipes. It was fixed but we have to be aware that whole building drain pipes are over 45-year-old steel pipes and can cause major problem.
Major building facility improvement: Replacement of the Electricity Cubicle, a vital life line to supply electricity to the entire TUC building. It was 45 years old while the life time was said 20. The cost was high with ¥10M but good that we don't have to worry about sudden power down of entire building.
The new baptismal font will be donated by one of the congregation in May 2025.
The church building has been cleaned by professional cleaner since 2023 and seems working out well.
Annual evacuation drill was performed in October. We plan to have it every Sept or Oct as annual drill.
Technology Part in the Ministry at Tokyo Union Church:
We saw more development in the use of technology over the past year. Some of it was much more visible, such as the improvements to our Sanctuary A/V system, while others are much less visible.
Here are just a few areas where we saw some changes...
The fellowship hall has needed an audio upgrade for some time. At the beginning of 2024, we installed some powerful speakers that now allow speakers to cover the entire fellowship hall area. In addition, a high-quality mixer that had not been used was installed for future events. This mixer was later repurposed in the sound upgrade for the sanctuary, and a new but smaller mixer was installed in the fellowship hall that was much more appropriate for use in that space. The fellowship hall and the sanctuary are now connected through the IP network for better integration and use (such as overflow).
A couple of new PTZ video cameras have been purchased for expanded capabilities to our AV system. One is mounted in the fellowship hall, and another one is moveable, currently installed in the 2F classroom. This facilitates special live streaming events as well as unique video production opportunities when needed. (One example is the Adult Education Class for Church History, which was being held in the fellowship hall first followed by the second floor classroom.)
The WiFi system capabilities have been upgraded to improve the quality of the service for our staff and visitors. We have benefited from the new network installation that took place the year before, and we are working to better harness this setup through the building. We've already started taking advantage of this throughout our classrooms.
We have installed some equipment to improve the security and access to the church building, allowing more control for those who need to have access to those systems.
As mentioned, there have been improvements to the Sanctuary A/V system. This includes upgrading our video signal to 1080 lines (full HD) and changing our audio setup to allow more inputs, such as instruments and microphones. The A/V setup has been streamlined to improve video and audio quality made available through our VMix system.
In addition to the tech developments, there has also been a process to review the contracts currently in place for various technical services in order to better set up these agreements for future management by the church. We are thankful for the incredible amount of technology that is available to the staff and members of Tokyo Union Church, and we pray that we can continue to use these tools to honor and glorify God and serve our neighbors near and far.
Personnel
by Alison Harada
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
God has blessed Tokyo Union Church with dedicated and talented staff who work hard to support and further TUC’s mission to God’s glory. We are grateful to all of our staff, from the Pastors to the office staff to the ministry staff to the facilities manager to the musicians to the nursery workers. It is a privilege for the Personnel Ministry Team to support them in their work.
In 2024, we said farewell to Pastor Steve Yamaguchi, who retired and returned to California in July. We are blessed to have Pastor Héctor Herrera as our new Senior Pastor, with a seamless transition thanks to his three years as our Associate Pastor.
Also in 2024, we welcomed Pastor Joseph Park as our Interim Associate Pastor, Xinema Leroux as our Pastoral Assistant for Youth & Children and JY Lee as our "Scholar in Residence" and Pastoral Assistant for church history. They joined the Reverend Jonathan Oh as the leader of our digital team, who leads our growing livestream ministry.
We are so grateful to our continuing staff including our music ministry team of Yuka Omi, the Sanctuary Choir Director, Remi Yamazaki, the Union Praise Team Director and our talented organists, Miwako Horii and Takako Hanabusa.
This year marked the 30th service anniversary of our Office Administrator, Megumi Naito and we are thankful for the many decades of loyal and dedicated service, as we are to our Finance Manager, Kats Mikami. Rounding out the team are Panmei Guiriangdinliu and Anna Yamaguchi, who provide loving care to the smallest members of our congregation. TUC would not be what we are today without each and every one of our beloved staff.
Could you list the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
PMT serves as the “Human Resource(HR) Department” for TUC, handling contracts, hiring, evaluations and career development for our beloved staff.
Outreach
by Devon Arthurson
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
We continue to be God's hands and heart as we donated to organizations listed on the Outreach page and support our partners.
Could you list the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
Outreach donated money to the following groups in 2024:
St. Alban's Deeper Service Ministry (Tokyo)
Asian Rural Institute (50th anniversary)
JOEE (Joyful English Education for children in orphanages in Japan)
Bott Memorial Home
Budo no Ki
Habitat for Humanity Japan
Second Harvest Japan
Doctors with Borders (emergency relief for Ukraine, Libya and Gaza)
Lutheran Relief (emergency relief for Gaza)
Uchinada Bible Church, Ishikawa (earthquake relief)
Hosanna Homes, Ishikawa (earthquake relief)
SALT Network, Ishikawa (earthquake relief)
World Vision Japan
Ember Kenya Grandparents Empowerment Project
NPO KRAIANY - Japan - Ukraine Friendship Association
TELL(Tokyo English Life Line)
Presbyterian Disaster Aid (emergency relief for victims of hurricane in SE US)
Nominating
by April Morito
Nominating Ministry Members:
Maya Tatsuno, Yuka Shigeno, Curtis Jordan & Pastor Héctor Herrera
Elders: Russell Gesling and April Morito
Nominating Team Members at Large:
The Nominating Team saw changes with Mary Aso and Russell Gesling both completing their terms as Members-at-Large. We thank them for their invaluable contribution and dedicated participation. We welcomed Yuka Shigeno and Curtis Jordan as new Nominating team members at large from 2024.
Jesus called them together and said,
“You know that the ruler of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20: 25 – 28
The Nominating Team relies heavily on the Lord, His guidance and direction in showing us the leaders that He has called to lead the church. Throughout this year, as always while serving in Nominating, we can see God’s hand and strongly feel His presence. For this we give Him praise.
Associate Pastor Search Committee:
One of the first tasks of Nominating this year 2024, was to put together an Associate Pastor Search Committee. The APSC are in the final stages of discerning, interviewing and making the final recommendation to call an Associate Pastor who will complement and support Pastor Héctor in leading TUC. The Associate Pastor Search Committee, which is comprised of Rance del Rosario (the committee chair), Mary Aso, Becky Agatsuma, Monique Bae, John Inagaki, Grace Liu, Amy Mathies, and the Vice President, Brad Schmidt, serving as an ex-officio member. This team of dedicated people was approved in the special congregational meeting in October to begin the search for our new associate Pastor.
An Elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable. One who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy messages as it has been taught so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Titus 1:6-8
Slate of Elders:
Putting together two pastor search teams back to back made it quite a challenge to complete the slate of elders. Couple that with the fact that several elders are stepping down after having completed their 6-year term or those who are moving away from Tokyo, the Nominating team faced quite a challenge. We give thanks to the Lord and we are so grateful for the following elders who have stepped up and agreed to serve as leaders of the church:
Catherine Sasanuma (President),
Brad Schimdt (Treasurer),
Ji Mu (Clerk),
Naomi Kakinuma (Youth, Children, and Family),
Ulrike Hougaard (Community Life),
Alison Harada (Personnel Management),
Jackie Militello (Personnel Management).
During the year, we welcomed the mid-term appointments of Kanehira Mitani, for Evangelism Elder and Russell Gesling for Nominating Elder.
Elders continuing their terms:
Ikuko Omori, (Property and Technology Ministry Team),
Martha Gomez (moving from Community Life to Nominating), Peter Mathies (Spiritual Formation) are continuing their 2 year term.
Elders stepping down:
We also thank the following elders who are stepping down: Francois Keet (Finance),
Vanessa Sihite (Youth, Children, and Family),
April Morito (Nominating),
Andy Chen (Worship and Music),
Membership Classes:
Starting this year, Membership and new member’s classes, under the leadership of Amy Mathies as coordinator with Kiyoko Miyahara and Ulrike Hougaard, also comes under the Nominating Ministry Team.
============================================
Membership Team
Amy Mathies, Kiyoko Miyahara, Ulrike Hoggards
The membership team organized three classes in 2024, and 38 people attended to learn about TUC—its history, core values, Ministries, and finances—from a Pastor and church leaders.
After deepening their understanding of TUC through vibrant discussion, 25 people became new members. We are excited to welcome so many new members this year and see them actively serving in the various ministries.
============================================
FYI
Classes Infromation
April 2024: Attendance (16 people), Became new members (9)
November 2024: Attendance (14), Became new members (8)
February 2025: Attendance (8), Become new members on March 16, 2025 (8, to be expected)
Ministry for Our Homeless Neighbors
by Larry Mojumdar
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
Indeed, we have witnessed God at work as we carried out our mission of serving our homeless neighbors through various outreach events and ministries.
Could you list the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
MOHN stands for Mission for our Homeless Neighbors.
We are tremendously blessed to have our internal MOHN infrastructure, which many hands have nurtured in the past.
Annual MOHN activities start out on January 1 at 10:00 a.m., as traditional Japanese New Year’s Breakfast (OSECHI) is packed artistically in boxes prepared by the MOHN CORE TEAM to be delivered to Yoyogi Park.
Every day, a team led by Matt Ushida makes packs of rice balls to be delivered early next morning to the Shibuya 109 area to support our homeless neighbors, who had been sleeping in the basement.
The monthly fellowship luncheon is well-managed by MOHN CORE MEMBERS (Mark Alder, Nancy Malik, Jason Chen, Go Komatsu, Ghim Hong-il, Matt Ushida, & Larry Mojumdar) on the third Saturday of every month. In the summer, we also hand out insect-repellant sprays and lunch boxes. In the winter, MOHN hands out warm heat-tech underwear and lunch boxes.
Throughout the year, 5-10 volunteers pack the lunch boxes with the ingredients prepared by Mr. Kudo (a homeless brother) in the church kitchen. 80-120 lunch boxes are handed out for the monthly event from 14:00 p.m. at Yoyogi Park.
MOHN has allowed many contributors to support and dedicate more of themselves to the Lord’s service. Many young contributors learned to take on more significant responsibilities, and as we gave more of ourselves, we experienced that the Lord called us to more considerable challenges and responsibilities.
Evangelism
by Kanehira Mitani
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
As a ministry, we have been blessed with greeters, arts ministry performances, and other initiatives which we hope to expand on in the upcoming year.
On a personal level, appointed midterm, becoming as elder itself has been a revelation of God's calling, which I personally hadn't fathomed before. It has been a transformative experience in seeing the inner workings of the church, as well as contemplating how to spread the word of the Lord more widely.
Could you share the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
ABC-TOKYO's Arts Ministry ballet performances have been a continued core pillar in our evangelism ministry, attracting full-house audiences with mesmerizing performances showcasing the power of art and His glory.
Arts Ministry Performances:
(DATES TO BE UPDATED 3/15)
October 13
October 31
December 1 - THE NUTCRACKER
December 7 - THE NUTCRACKERGetting Answers to Hard Questions - conducted by Brad Schmidt, commenced in September 2024 for a monthly session tackling hard questions through the biblical text, offering a deeper dive into understanding Christianity.
Topics covered:
1. Can we know God exists without using the Bible?
2. If God exists, how come there is so much suffering in the world?
3. Did Jesus really rise from the Dead?
4. How to square away God’s nature with his commandment to kill all the Canaanites?
5. What happens to Non-Christians after they Die?
Many thanks to our greeting team and welcome team for their service.
Community Life
by Martha Gomez
How have you seen God at work in your ministry over the year?
For me it is very easy to feel the presence of God when entering TUC and even more so when you know that you are part of his community.
Even before being an elder of the Hospitality and Community life ministry, I felt his presence. Today I understand that life in community is finally an expression of the love of God, for God. Whether we participate by organizing coffee time, being part of the group that decorates the Church for a particular event, reaching out to people who we know are in difficulties, whether health or personal, or simply to establish friendly relationships.
I see fraternal life in common as an expression of the union we feel for the love of God.
Could you list the activities and the engagement of your ministry this past year?
I believe that Hospitality and Community Life is not the work of a single ministry. Finally, it is the job of all of us who form TUC and participate in the different activities of our Church. In general I cannot separate the activity because I see many people volunteering in one ministry and another. My recognition, for example, goes to Noriko Sakoh who has promptly taken care of the TUC members who live alone in the Rojin home.
Namely, we organize and celebrate parties and meetings, we allow ourselves personal and community moments of relaxation, we take distance from each other from time to time, we enjoy the joys of our brothers or sisters, we pay attention to the needs of those who approach us timidly. That has been my experience not only as an Elder but as a simple member of the TUC community.
Community living at TUC also has its difficulties. We are a diverse group in cultures, races and thoughts. Variety of families.
During 2024, the Ministry of Hospitality and Community Life has been a link between TUC and volunteers who make the coffee time possible, the organization of the concert to raise funds for the victims of the Noto peninsula, and participate together with other ministries in the arrangement of the church for events such as Christmas. I only hope that we continue to build community, in a luminous context in which gratitude, joy, union of hearts, support in the common difficulties of daily coexistence and reciprocal strengthening of our faith are generated. Always treating us with humility and respect.