Our heartfelt thanks to Yuka our Director of Music, Migiwa our accompanist, and the members of the joint choir from Sacred Heart, Union & Christ Church last night for our Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols. We had one of the largest choirs and congregations we have ever had since starting this tradition back in the 1970s. You can enjoy the service again on our Youtube channel by following the link below: https://youtu.be/Ds8bcM554iM

It is a great pleasure to write to introduce ourselves as we prepare to move to Yokohama, to join the work of The Mission to Seafarers, and become part of the fellowship at Christ Church. We will be moving from Worcestershire in England’s West Midlands, where we have lived for the past 20 years, though Dick is originally from Kent in the far South East. Yuki was born, raised and became a Christian in her teens in Tokyo, and we met when Dick came to Japan to work with the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Tochigi prefecture, where Yuki was a volunteer at the time. Most of our married life has been spent in England, first in theological college in Nottingham, before Dick’s ordination in the Diocese of Rochester, though we did live for three years in The Philippines in the 1990s, working with various projects of the Diocese of Guimaras in the Philippine Independent Church (IFI), an assignment again connected with ARI. Our daughter Tomomi was born there, and we also have an older son, Kentaro, who lives near Manchester.

Dick’s ordained ministry has always included an element of Industrial Mission, alongside parish ministry, most recently as Lead Chaplain for West Mercia Police and Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, and has been the national chair of the Association of Workplace Chaplains in the UK. Yuki worked in the care sector after we moved to Worcestershire, but most recently has focussed on ministry within the Japanese community living in West London, centred on St Martin’s West Acton where she has been a Licenced Lay Minister in the Diocese of London, leading the parish’s Japanese Anglican Church congregation, and serving as chaplain to the wider Japanese community in the Diocese.  For relaxation we both love to garden and cook.

We are very excited at the prospect of moving to Yokohama, and hope to arrive before Ash Wednesday. We look forward to sharing the reflective season of Lent with you, the solemnities of Passiontide and Holy Week, and the joy of Easter. It will be a great way to start our time in Yokohama. As we tackle all that needs to be done, and say farewells to family, friends and colleagues over the Christmas/New Year period, please do pray for us; as we will pray for you and Fr Andrew as he takes his leave and prepares for his own new role.

Dick and Yuki Johnson.