Sayuri & Abraham Kist-Okazaki

The sun’s rays stretch above the horizon, joining the bustle of the already moving metropolis of Tokyo, Japan. At the train station, Sayuri and Abraham Kist-Okazaki are among the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, on their way to encourage and pray with a small group of members from their congregation. Traveling to a new place, there are many opportunities to get lost changing trains and buses. For these pastors, though, getting a little off track provides unexpected opportunities for evangelism in a country where 99 percent of the population claims atheism, Buddhism, or alternative religions.

Ordained RCA ministers Sayuri and Abraham Kist-Okazaki work as associate pastors at Kugahara Church, part of the United Church of Christ in Japan. They visit churches and regional gatherings, preaching nationwide for evangelism and leadership training. Sayuri also works with the National Federation of Kyodan Women’s Societies in the United Church of Christ in Japan to empower women who serve churches faithfully, while Abraham teaches introduction to Christianity at Meiji Gakuin University.