My third informational interview was with Pastor Yoriko Yabuki, of Revive International Church. She has been involved in ministry for over 25 years, and as part of the 1% of the Japanese population that identifies as Christian, Pastor Yabuki has always had a unique perspective on missionary work and how to best leverage her faith to support the community around her.
Born to a family within the church, Pastor Yabuki has been in the faith her whole life. And as of this interview, she has created significant waves in two main areas of Christian religious work: international pastoral care in America and women’s leadership within the church in Japan and abroad.
In addition to being the lead pastor of Revive International Church, Pastor Yabuki is also an executive committee member of the Asia Pentecostal Society, a Professor of Women’s Ministry at the Asia-Pacific Theological Seminary in the Philippines, and a Professor of International Ministry at Central Bible College located here in Tokyo. And in the past, she spent over a decade in America reaching out to, and supporting, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation Japanese-Americans through her ministry based in Springfield, Missouri.
In terms of the challenges she has faced in her experiences in ministry, Pastor Yabuki describes the Church’s traditional view of the role of women, especially in regards to religious leadership positions. She cites mistranslations of the Bible, strict gender roles, and laments that from her experience the Church in America is much more wary of women in leadership than the Church in Japan is. However, as the lead pastor of her own church now, she values and uplifts the voices of women in her own congregation, and treasures the freedom she has as she uses her own voice to lead the members of her community. Additionally, in the past, she has been a part of — and a leader of — many Christian women’s conferences, and hopes to continue to support women through this type of fellowship in the future as well.
Finally, when asked what advice she would give to someone looking to study their religion, or become the equivalent of a pastor, Pastor Yabuki gave a resounding “Just do it!”. She is passionate about pastoral care and ministry changing and adapting to the wants and needs of Millennials and Generation Z-ers, and believes those changes can best be made by young people in the Church themselves. Moreover, Pastor Yabuki emphasizes the importance of robust, evidence-based theological study, and the importance of sacrificial leadership for those looking to enter the religious field.
According to her, there will certainly be highs and lows within one’s career in ministry, but to be drawn closer to one’s faith and to use it to serve others is an amazing calling — and absolutely worth pursuing as a career!
A picture from a Revive International Church outing!