Our History
Mennonite Japanese Christian Fellowship has its roots in the Surrey Mennonite Church, which began through the efforts of retired missionary Anna Dyck, and Tsutomu and Miwako Tada. The ministry served the needs of Japanese immigrants. Through outreach efforts by the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, they began services in 1992 with the support of George and Martha Janzen as well as Peter and Mary Derksen, retired mission workers. Dyck moved to Drake, Saskatchewan in 1998. At that time, supported by the Hanamizuki group in Japan, Takahiko and Mari Yoshiyuki were called to give leadership.
After a year, differences in vision for the congregation led to a division. After many thoughtful prayer meetings the Mennonite Japanese Christian Fellowship began in May 2000. With 11 founding members, they were led by pastor Yoshiyuki. MJCF then became a member of the Conference of Mennonites in British Columbia, which is now Mennonite Church BC. In May 2003, a daughter church called North Shore Japanese Church was founded in West Vancouver, now led by pastor, Jongsun Kim. Then, Sung-Rok Cho began at MJCF as an associate pastor, serving for several years.
In March 2008, the Yoshiyukis moved to Japan and in September of 2008 Gerald Neufeld, a former Mennonite Church Canada mission worker, began as pastor. From 2016 to 2019 Jooyong Park served as a co-pastor.
With the spread of the COVID-19 virus, online worship services and prayer meetings were begun in March 2020.
(Information from Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online)
Pastor Gerald Neufeld
I was called to serve in Japan through Mennonite Board of Missions and the Commission on Overseas Mission, which later became Mennonite Mission Network and Mennonite Church Canada Witness, serving 1995-2008. During that time, I met my wife Rie, and we now have three children, Rena, Jay, and Irene. From 2008 to the present I have been pastor at the Mennonite Japanese Christian Fellowship.
Profile
Graduated from CMBC (now Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Manitoba) 1988, with Bachelor of Church Music (BCHmus.) and Bachelor of Theology (BTh.) Served as Associate Pastor, completed Bachelor of Arts (BA.) at University of Waterloo, Ontario, fulfilled requirements to become Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (ARCT), specializing in piano, moved to AMBS (now Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana) and received Master of Divinity (MDiv.) 1994. After this, followed the call to serve in Japan through the Mennonite Board of Mission.