Who We Are

Name: Michael Mason
Birthday: October 27
Birthplace: Eureka, CA
Grew up: Eugene, OR & Spokane, WA
School: Western Washington University (BA, '88), Fuller Theological Seminary (MA '95)
Hobbies: hiking, playing guitar, worship music, Oregon Ducks football, Disneyland

Name: Christine Mason
Birthday: January 4
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Grew up: Gardena, CA
School: Cal State Dominguez Hills (BA, '92), Fuller Theological Seminary (MA '96)
Hobbies: baking, reading, Facebook

Name: Luke Masashi Mason
Birthday: June 10, 2000
Birthplace: Sakai, Japan
School: Kansai Christian School (Heguri, Nara Prefecture, Japan)
Hobbies: Disneyland, Wii, Legos, Google Maps, piano, computers, iPad, Minecraft

What We Do

Upon arrived in Japan in the spring of 1997, we began serving in Sakai City (Osaka Prefecture) at Sakai International Bible Church (SIBC). At first, we assisted the current pastor of the church, the Rev. Teiichiro Kuroda, but then, in September 2001 we were ordained as ministers and installed as the head pastors of the church. We served in this capacity for 11 years.

Then, in the Summer of 2012, the Lord led SIBC to transition into a more simple-style, organic church which meets in a home in Izumiotsu City. The church is now called Oasis Church, and we are continuing to provide leadership to the church as we are all exploring this "new" way of being the body of Christ.

Besides serving at the church, we have also had the opportunity to serve at our son's school, Kansai Christian School. Located in Heguri, Nara Prefecture (near Ikoma City), KCS is an international, English-speaking school covering grades 1 thru 12. Over the years, Michael has helped with the worship and has served as chaplain during the monthly all-school chapel times. Chris has served with the PTA and is currently working as the Bible teacher/ homeroom teacher for the 5th & 6th grade class. She also serves as a classroom aid for the 1st and 2nd grades. (You can check out a video of the school that Michael made on the KCS homepage here).

Honestly, we love our work and the people that God has placed in our lives. God has been so good to us and we are so thankful that he has called us to such a wonderful ministry situation as this.
To find out more about our work and ministry, see our newsletters page.

More About Michael

Michael grew up in Oregon and Washington and currently calls Spokane, WA home. It was after a summer mission trip to Taiwan in 1987 that Michael sensed a call to the mission field. Upon graduation from college, he taught English and served in a church in the Osaka area of Japan for two years. It was during this time that the Lord gave him a heart to return to Japan as a career missionary. Upon Michael's return from Japan, he started at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California and graduated in 1995 with a Master's degree in Cross-Cultural Studies from the School of World Mission.

More About Chris

Chris is a Japanese-American "sansei" (third-generation Japanese) who was born & raised in Los Angeles. After working in the banking industry for 11 years, Chris went on staff with JEMS as financial secretary in 1992. Also in 1992, Chris spent a summer in Japan. It was there that she began to sense that the Lord was calling her to a career in missions. In response to this call, Chris began studying at Fuller Seminary in the winter of 1993. At Fuller she met Michael and they were later married in March 1996. In June of that year, Chris graduated from Fuller's School of World Mission with a Master's degree in Cross-Cultural Studies and a concentration in Leadership & Leadership Development.