TOKYO, JAPAN (February 12, 2013) – In his final address to the Japan Covenant Church Annual Meeting as the denomination’s chairperson, Pastor Yasushi Shimizu highlighted global partnerships.

Shimizu is concluding his third consecutive two-year term.

The meeting was held Monday at the Covenant Seminary in Tokyo. Delegates came from the denomination’s 23 churches.

The gospel has bound multiple Asian and North American Covenant ministries together, Shimizu said. That was most evident following the tsunami that devastated much of the country on March 11, 2011. Covenanters have helped provide relief and ongoing assistance in rebuilding work.

Reports also were given on the work of Pastor Shunichi and Masako Miyamoto, who are serving as missionaries from the Japan Covenant Church to the Great Lakes Conference. Shunichi is now part of the staff at Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Pastor Yoshinobu Katsumata was elected to serve as the new chairperson of the Japan Covenant Church.

In other business:

• Covenant missionaries Jay and Ellen Haworth and Gary and Pauline Carlson were honored for serving in Japan for 30 years or more. Two Japanese pastors also were recognized for 30 years or more of service, and four others were honored for 40 years of ministry.
• A Japanese translation of the Covenant’s publication “Covenant Affirmations” was distributed to the delegates and is being made available to Japan Covenant churches and their members.