During his teenage years, Takanori (Tak) Nagakura regularly listened to FEBC’s Japanese-language radio programs – today, he is the ministry’s assistant executive director in Japan.

On the British Columbia Interior Friendship Tour – which begins May 20 in Cranbrook – Tak will highlight how God is using the broadcast ministry to reach the people of Japan with theGospel message.

Under the sponsorship of FEBCanada, Takanori studied English at the University of Regina in the fall of 2005 ... and attended Briercrest College and Seminary in nearby Caronport.

Prior to joining FEBC in early 2005, Tak obtained a master’s degree in urban studies at Tokyo’s Metropolitan University.

As a 16-year-old high school student, Tak wrote his first letter to the Tokyo-based radio ministry about his initial encounter with the Lord ... and in a subsequent letter he wrote, in part: “To me, the power of the Cross is too awesome; it is even revolutionary!”

This is a remarkable story of how God used the radio broadcasts to change the life of a young Japanese student, who is now a ministry director in Tokyo – a position he has held since 2014.

In addition to his many personnel and administrative responsibilities, Tak hosts Echo of Voices – a program where he responds to listeners’ letters, with an emphasis on pastoral perspectives. He also co-hosts an interview program called Coffee Break Interview.

Collectively, more than twenty radio programs are produced weekly by the committed Japanese staff and invited guests – which includes well-known broadcaster Keiko Yoshizaki – the producer of FEBC’s longest-running radio program Keiko’s Mailbag.

These programs are then aired by FEBC’s powerful 250-kilowatt AM station HLAZ, on Jeju Island in South Korea; re-broadcast on the Japanese ministry’s website; and are made available to interested listeners on MP3 discs.

Tak will also share about the “live” Sunday worship service broadcasts, the No Pastor Church project, the Bible Correspondence Course ... and the staff’s ambitious plans to visit more than 900 Japanese churches over the next several years.

Takanori and his wife Mizuki (who is a fifth generation Christian) have two daughters: nine-year-old Kotoha (meaning: the Word of God), and three-year-old Kanade (meaning: playing an instrument for the Lord).