JEMA Connect 2026

Each February, JEMA Connect, the organisation’s annual meeting, takes place at Ochanomizu Christian Center (OCC) in Tokyo. The three-day event starts with an annual general meeting, but this is far more than your average business meeting. Anyone is welcome to come, observe, ask questions, and network with other attendees.

Business first

This year, 52 people attended the Monday afternoon meeting at Grace City Church Tokyo on the seventh floor of OCC.

Everything was in one room and there was no stage, so the atmosphere felt intimate and encouraged lots of engagement. One wall was lined with a row of suitcases, each draped with a winter jacket—missionaries travel from around Japan to attend JEMA Connect. As a result, it has grown into a multi-day event.

The business meeting was taken care of first on Monday. This included reports from the JEMA leadership team: president, vice president, and treasurer, communications, and ministries facilitator. Then we had reports from JEMA core ministries (Member Care, Prayer Ministry, Women in Ministry, and Missional Thinking). We also heard from the Japan Evangelical Association (JEA)—an umbrella organization for Japanese evangelical churches and a partner of JEMA—and reports from JEA committees that JEMA members are part of. The booklet with the reports is available to download.¹

It was interesting to learn that JEMA membership has been increasing in the last few years. After a low of 886 in 2021, membership at the end of 2025 consisted of 1,034 missionaries in JEMA member mission organisations and 246 associate members (missionaries not in a JEMA member mission). The number of JEMA member missions has remained around 45 for the last eight years.

Display tables were set up in a space adjacent to the main meeting room. These displayed resources and information from member missions and endorsed ministries.² This space was a great place for networking.

Endorsed ministries

In the evening, 51 people gathered to hear short presentations from some of JEMA’s endorsed ministries. This was a valuable time to hear about what’s going on around Japan and to learn of resources and opportunities that these ministries offer others who serve in Japan. President Nathan Snow was particularly enthusiastic about networking possibilities with Tokyo Christian University. Reports from many of the endorsed ministries are included in the booklet.

Mission think tank

Days two and three of JEMA Connect are usually devoted to one specific topic. Over the years, a wide variety of issues have been addressed in this space. In recent years, topics have included resilience, ministry to foreign residents in Japan, building high-impact teams, and church revitalization. JEMA Connect this year was held a month before the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and we focused on disaster preparedness.

Disaster and mission

On the second day of JEMA Connect, 52 people gathered to listen to Dr. Paul Yokota from the Kyushu Christ Disaster Relief Center (九キ災 Kyukisai). He is pastor of Aburayama Shalom Church in Fukuoka.

Yokota shared about disaster relief work from a biblical and missional perspective, explaining that God created the world in peace/shalom. It follows that disaster relief work is part of God’s mission to restore his peace in the world. Wars and natural calamities do not hinder the proclamation of the gospel but can even further its advance.

Yokota also emphasised that disaster relief is an expression of loving God and loving our neighbour. It displays the beauty and power of the body of Christ. He pointed out that in the Roman Empire, the church grew because Christians cared for the sick, the orphans, and others in need. We were reminded that difficult times of disaster also bring opportunities for spiritual formation because serving others transforms ourselves, and we meet Christ in those who suffer (Matt. 25:31–46).

It was pointed out that such times bring about new ways of doing mission, whether in cities or in neglected rural areas since disasters also occur in remote areas such as Tohoku and Noto. While we are not professional first responders, Christians can, and usually do, stay longer, build trust, and have deep and great impact in the affected area. Yokota shared the moving experience of being called Kirisuto-san, Mr. Christ, as he was helping people rebuild their lives. He encouraged believers to live out the truth in love, not only through preaching but through embodied witness in everyday life. During disasters, Christians and non-Christians work together in unity for the good of the communities affected.

Finally, he reflected on the relationship between those who serve and those who receive help, being mindful of power dynamics. While relief work often begins with one side giving, the goal is to move towards mutual and lasting relationships marked by dignity and reciprocity.

The second part of the afternoon offered a panel discussion by Yokota, as well as Helen Kwak, the Emotional Care department leader for CRASH Japan, and Stephen Nakahashi, work leader for Noto Help. Kwak talked about the importance of “heart care” and counsellor training. Nakahashi shared from his experience of working in various disaster relief situations in Japan. Afterwards, questions from the floor were answered, followed by discussion groups and group presentations.

Disaster and leadership

On the third day of JEMA Connect, Yokota addressed 38 mission leaders, focusing on disaster and leadership.

First, Yokota shared his personal journey of disaster relief work in Kobe, Tohoku, Kumamoto, Okayama, and more recently Noto. He grew from not knowing what to do at the beginning to later being able to offer experience, leadership, and guidance to others. He was encouraged by how the Japanese church’s response to disasters has grown in unity and skill over time, leading to the development of interdenominational networks such as Zenkisai (全キ災–キリスト全国災害ネット).³ He emphasised that leadership is formed and skills are learned through the pressures and responsibilities of disaster relief work.

Yokota also offered practical counsel for leaders. He spoke about the many important decisions that must be made regarding when and how to respond, and talked about how disaster relief work quickly becomes overwhelming. Because of this, he stressed the importance of protecting prayer, family time, and rest in order to avoid burnout and moral temptations related to money, sex, and pride.

He encouraged leaders to seek support from trusted friends, mentors, experienced practitioners, and their home churches. Churches need to understand and stand behind those engaged in relief work. In these situations, flexibility is essential, as is being prepared to respond to difficult questions from both Christians and non-Christians about why God allows suffering. Finally, Yokota’s sharing was followed by a Q&A from the floor, with leaders asking for advice or sharing their own experience.

Conclusion

One JEMA office staff member said that she was “impressed again this year with the calibre of missionaries God has sent to Japan. What a dedicated, faithful, and loving group of people we have in the JEMA community!”

Though it is now a little while since this event, JEMA encourages you to ask your mission leaders to share what they learned at JEMA Connect. We also encourage you to download the Annual Meeting booklet (link in endnote 1) to see how you and your ministry can benefit from resources and ministries that were showcased this year. 

1. JEMA Annual Meeting 2026 booklet: http://jema.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-JAM-BOOK.pdf
2. “Endorsed ministries provide JEMA with a broader channel to network and resource its members, giving those ministries legitimacy to the Japanese Christian world, and providing them with the opportunity to make their ministries known within the JEMA world” (from p. 63 of above booklet).
3. Christian National Disaster Network: a Japanese-led interdenominational Japan Christian network focused on disaster response (Zenkisai.net).
Photo submitted by JEMA