The Burwells

Christar Japan: Spreading the Gospel throughout Yamaguchi-ken...

We are the Burwells, Chuck and Jan. As of August 2007 our two children, Melissa and Nick, have both graduated from college and are living in Southern California. Melissa is a Social Worker in Ventura and just got married June 30, 2007. Nick is a software engineer at a small company in Santa Barbara and is planning to get married September 8, 2007. When we are together our family enjoys tennis, walking, sports, games and traveling.

We have been married since 1974. After graduating from Ohio State University, Chuck worked for twelve years as a Petroleum Engineer for UNOCAL in CA. Jan worked for seven years as a Speech and Hearing Therapist with developmentally disabled adults. In 1985 we trusted Christ as our Savior. Two years later we sensed God's call to full time Christian work. From 1987-89 we attended Columbia Bible College and Seminary (now Columbia International School). Chuck received a Masters in Cross-cultural Studies while Jan completed a one-year Bible Certificate. During our time there we worked under the leadership of a professor in helping plant a cell group church in Columbia, SC.

In November 1990 we arrived in Japan as church planters. We attended a language school in Nagano Ken for almost two years before moving to Yamaguchi Ken. We completed a one year internship with a Japanese Pastor in a Christar planted, indigenous church in Hofu City and after a furlough, we continued working with that pastor until April 1997.

At that time we moved to our next target city, Ube, where we worked with teammates, Bob and Suzi Flanders, to plant a new church. The Flanders took on a new ministry in America in 2005 and shortly after that, Wes and Susan Taylor joined the Ube Church Plant team. They have two young children.This year the church took a big step of faith and called a Japanese pastor to join our team and become the pastor of the church. Pastor Uchida and his wife and their two Jr. High age children moved to Ube this past June and are being supported by church offerings, English classes, missionary work funds and a foundation in America. The goal of the church is to be self supporting in three years. Currently the Ube church is seven years old and the church board consists of all Japanese members .

We try to utilize various means to make contacts for the Ube Lighthouse Church. We teach English classes, and lead outreach studies on marriage and parenting and the Bible foundation series. Jan has done cooking classes and a lot of hospitality. Our newest venture is a Gospel choir that is taught by a Christian Japanese woman but is 75% non-Christian Japanese folks. Almost 30 non-Christians have been involved in the choir over the last two years and currently we have 24 choir members. A number of them are moving closer to believing the gospel and we expect to see much fruit from this ministry.

We started from the ground level of church planting and still need help in making new contacts, teaching English from pre-school through adult, youth ministries, music ministries and teaching parenting and marriage classes. One of our goals is to begin a coffee shop type ministry that could be combined with English conversation and outreach to youth. All we lack is some more Christians to join our team. There are many exciting opportunities here but few workers to do the job. Would you consider joining us in this exciting ministry in Ube, Japan?

Visit the Burwell's web page at www.burwellfamily.com.

Church Planters in Ube, Japan

E-mail: theburwells@yahoo.com

Chuck and Jan Burwell