Background Information:
Roberta was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Penn State University she served for three years in Kosovo with The Christian & Missionary Alliance. After completing her term she enrolled in Wheaton College for additional studies in missions. Robert was raised in Texas and is a graduate of Texas A&M University. From 2005-2009 he served in southern Japan with Asian Access. Like Roberta, he returned to the States to study missions at Wheaton College in 2009, which is where their paths converged.
After meeting, dating and getting married, Robert and Roberta discerned that God was leading them back to Japan with Asian Access. They are currently in Japan through a strategic partnership between Asian Access and SIM designed to leverage the strengths of both agencies to more effectively reach Japanese people and strengthen the Japanese church.
Ministry Assignments:
Robert has served with Asian Access since 2001 in a variety of roles.
- Church Multiplication Teams - December 2010-present
- j-Teams Coordinator (2009-present), while pursuing a Masters at Wheaton.
- Church Planting Associate in Kyshu, Japan from 2005-'09.
- j-Teams Leader: 2002, 2003
- j-Teams Member: 2001
Roberta joined Asian Access in 2010.
- Church Multiplication Teams - December 2010-present
- Apprentice Program (Christian & Missionary Alliance) - 2006-2009
Current Assignment:
Robert & Roberta arrived back in Japan in March 2012 after a pre-field assignment, including earning degrees at Wheaton Graduate School.
They are currently serving with Church Multiplication Teams in the Tohoku region of Japan (northern Japan). Their ministry consists of coming along side an existing Japanese church and assisting them in reaching an area where a church does not currently exist. Specific activities include language study, relational evangelism, teaching English, discipleship, coaching, and doing whatever else is necessary to help build the church in Japan.
Articles related to Robert and Roberta
Honshu is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. Aomori is the name of the prefecture at the northern end of Honshu. It is a rural prefecture with a declining population, and its economy relies on farming, forestry, and fishing. In early November, I had the chance to travel there to meet with a group of pastors and discuss ways that Asian Access could potentially partner with what God is already doing in the region. On Friday morning, Pastor Shibuya picked me up, along with five other people from his church, to make the hour-long drive to the city of Hirakawa (until recently, one of the last cities in Japan without a church). As we drove to the prayer meeting, ...
