Let me introduce myself
I remember reading a plaque on the wall of my Engineering professor’s office while I was waiting for him. It was a quote of Jesus offering rest for the soul. At the time I thought, “I don’t know if there is a God, but if there is, I’ll bet He could give me peace.” A year later, I had found that rest and peace, but not before wrestling through countless questions and arguments and becoming overwhelmed at the evidence that Jesus is in fact the Son of God who died on the cross to provide a pardon for sinners and to make possible a life of love for all who follow Him.
The one who introduced me to that evidence became my wife, and God has taken Jennifer and me on an adventure that I never would have imagined. After graduation I had made plans to go to Japan and invest in my career. God instead changed the course of my life. I was baptized in the Sea of Japan and ended up serving in a small Japanese church for close to a year. I returned home with a calling to one day return to Japan as a missionary, and spent the next seven years in preparation. After finishing a Masters degree, learning how to integrate my faith and my work in a corporate setting in downtown Toronto, and serving for two years on staff in community outreach here in Richmond Hill, Jennifer and I along with Brooke and Evan, who were preschoolers at the time, moved to Japan.
During fifteen years of ministry in Japan, God used us to establish a Japanese church among the researchers of Tsukuba Science City; He helped us establish a volunteer network that served tsunami survivors in coastal Miyagi prefecture; and He brought many to life and hope through Jesus Christ. Along the way God gave us Caleb, our third child, and many precious experiences and life lessons that have shaped us as individuals.
With the new church in Tsukuba established, the needs of our families necessitated a return to Canada, but we return excited to lead Grace Baptist and help the people of Richmond Hill meet God through the Scriptures and find life through faith in Jesus Christ. I’m passionate about God’s greatness, authentic community, faith that works, and connecting Jesus and the Good News to every aspect of life. Join with me in praying that God would do something beautiful in our midst as we respond to His grace and give ourselves to Him.
In awe of Him,
Paul