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, walking, reading, worship music, Oregon Ducks football, Star Wars

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
Birthplace: Sakai, Japan
Grew up: Osaka & Nara, Japan
School: Westmont College (BA in Religious Studies, '23)
Hobbies: music (playing and listening), traveling, food (especially hamburgers!) & coffee

What We Do

Upon arriving in Japan in the spring of 1997, we began serving in Sakai City (Osaka Prefecture) at Sakai International Bible Church (SIBC). Initially, we were assisting the founding pastor of the church, the Rev. Teiichiro Kuroda. However, in September 2001 Pastor Kuroda handed the leadership of the church over to us and we were installed as the head pastors. We served in this capacity for 11 years.

In the Summer of 2012, following the leading of the Lord to transition into a more simple-style, organic church, SIBC began meeting in a home in Izumiotsu City. The church changed it's name to Oasis Church, and we (Michael & Chris) continue to serve and provide leadership to the church family as we explore this "new" way of being the body of Christ.

Besides serving at the church, for 12 years we 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 had the opportunity to serve as the school chaplain and giving the message at the all-school chapel times each month. Chris also served at KCS, first with the PTA (2 years) and then in the classroom, as a teacher's aide (3 years), a homeroom/Bible teacher (2 years), and finally as the full-time teacher for the 1st-2nd grade class (4 years).

When our son graduated from KCS in June 2019, we ended our service at the school in order to transition into doing member care with our mission organization. Our desire is to encourage our fellow missionaries so that they can thrive in the minsitry that God has given to them.

Honestly, we love our work and the people that God has placed in our lives. God has been very 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.