Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society

What Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society does

Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS) is a Christian non-profit, para-church organization founded in 1950-1951 by Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) ministers at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center in California. Headquartered in Los Angeles with 56+ HQ and board staff plus 40+ missionary families deployed across Japan, JEMS exists to evangelize Japanese people and serve Asian-American Christians through missionary sending, conferences, campus ministries, and community outreach.

JEMS operates a portfolio of interconnected ministry programs including the Mount Hermon Summer Conference (serving over 1,500 attendees annually across seven divisions), the Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF) campus ministry at five universities (USC, UW Seattle, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, UW Bothell), the Nichigo Japanese-language ministry, JEMS Sports Ministry (basketball, softball, volleyball, pickleball, and golf tournaments), Summer Missions short-term trip program, Trellis leadership development, and Japan Missions supporting career missionaries and partner churches across Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, and other Japanese cities.

Revenue is generated through tax-deductible donations from individuals, churches, and organizations (the primary stream), camp and conference registration fees at tiered rates ($60-$200+ per attendee depending on event and lodging), and sports tournament entry fees. Distribution occurs via the Mount Hermon Conference Center in Felton, CA, campus ministry chapters, sports event venues across California and Seattle, and field operations across Japan. The organization holds ECFA accreditation and operates without institutional investors, PE/VC backing, or public-market exposure.

Name

Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society

Legal name

Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society

Website

https://jems.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS) is a Christian non-profit, para-church organization founded in 1950-1951 that sends 40+ missionary families to Japan and serves Asian-American Christians through conferences, campus ministries, sports outreach, and leadership development programs in the US and Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Nonprofit Ministry Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAGAI

Faith-Based & Mission Service Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

SECONDARYBPAGAJAA

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYTHAGAOAI

Group Camping & Scout Camps

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Camping & Glamping Facilities

Keywords

• Christian missionary services
• Campus ministry programs
• Religious nonprofit conferences
• Church planting missions
• Asian American fellowship

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: JEMS operates primarily through tax-deductible donations from individual supporters, churches, and organizations. Donors can give online via credit/debit card, ACH/EFT, check, or through planned giving vehicles including vehicles, stocks, bonds, real estate, and charitable trusts.
2. Camp and Conference Fees: Revenue generated from Mount Hermon conference registration fees, youth camp fees, lodging rates, and meal plans. Partial participation options available for day visitors.
3. Golf Tournament Registration: Sports ministry generates revenue through golf tournament registrations ($110 per golfer) and other sports event fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

JEMS is a non-profit, para-church Christian missionary society that sends career and short-term missionaries to Japan, runs the Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF) campus ministry at multiple universities, hosts the annual JEMS Mount Hermon summer conference and youth camps serving 1,500+ attendees, organizes sports ministry tournaments, and operates Nichigo Japanese-language ministry serving Japanese-speaking communities in the United States.

Product overview

Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society (JEMS) is a Christian non-profit, para-church organization offering a portfolio of interconnected ministry programs. The core offerings include the JEMS Journal (quarterly newsletters in English and Japanese), JEMS Sports Ministry (tournaments and events), JEMS Mount Hermon Conference (annual week-long camp serving 1,500+ attendees across multiple divisions), AACF (campus ministry at universities), Nichigo Ministry (Japanese language ministry), Japan Missions (career and short-term missionary programs), Summer Missions Program, Pacific Northwest Ministries, and Leadership Development initiatives. These programs work together to fulfill JEMS' mission of evangelizing Japanese Americans, Japanese people globally, and Asian Americans through local churches, conferences, campus ministries, sports outreach, and international missions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JEMS Mount Hermon: Annual Christian conference held at Mount Hermon Conference Center serving over 1,500 people annually through Family/Main camp, Nichigo camp, Jr. High, Inter High, Sr. High, College, and Special Camps.
• Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF)
• Nichigo Ministry
• JEMS Sports Ministry
• Trellis Ministry

Products and services

• JEMS Mount Hermon Conference Week-long residential Christian conference at Mount Hermon Conference Center in Felton, California, serving over 1,500 people annually across multiple age-based divisions including Family/Main Camp, Nichigo Camp, Junior High, Inter High, Senior High, College, and Special Camps.
• Asian American Christian Fellowship (AACF) Campus ministry program reaching Asian American college students through leadership development, discipleship, and faithful presence at universities including USC, UW Seattle, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, and UW Bothell.
• Japan Missions International missionary program sending 40+ career missionaries and families to Japan, partnering with local churches to evangelize and plant churches among the Japanese people (the second-largest unreached people group globally with less than 1% Christian population).
• Summer Missions Program Short-term mission trips to Japan running mid-July through August with mandatory in-person training, team building meetings, and ministry activities including English worship, church support, and community outreach.
• JEMS Sports Ministry Sports outreach program hosting tournaments and events including basketball (3-on-3, 5-on-5), softball, volleyball, pickleball, and golf to share the Gospel through athletic activities across California and Seattle.
• Nichigo Ministry Japanese language ministry serving Japanese-speaking Christians and seekers in the US through Mount Hermon Nichigo Camp, the Nichigo Jiho quarterly newsletter, worship events, and partnership with Japanese churches.
• JEMS Journal Quarterly newsletters published by JEMS in both English (JEMS Journal) and Japanese (Nichigo Jiho) formats, covering ministry updates, missionary stories, and spiritual content for the JEMS supporter community.
• Leadership Development and Equipping Program focused on raising disciple makers and missionaries from local churches, with a vision for every disciple to be a disciple maker, every member a missionary, and every church a sending church.
• Pacific Northwest Ministries Regional ministry program serving the Pacific Northwest through AACF campus ministries, Warm Beach Summer Conference, Spring Concert, and partnerships with Asian American churches.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 annual conferees at Mount Hermon Summer Conference
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crossroads Community ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partnership for sending short-term mission teams to Japan. Crossroads Community Church has sent multiple teams including to Nagoya and Aomori/Sapporo.
• Asian American Baptist Church (Dallas, Texas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partnership for sending mission teams to Tokyo and Sapporo, Japan. Part of JEMS effort to encourage local churches to develop lasting partnerships with churches in Japan.
• Los Angeles Holiness ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partnership sending mission team to Japan (Noto and Sendai locations) trained by JEMS.
• Cross Court (Pickleball)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports ministry partnership for hosting joint pickleball tournament events, such as the Carson, CA event at Dignity Health Sports Park.
• Wintersburg Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partnership for hosting co-ed volleyball tournament and community sports events.
• Sideout Tsunami Pickleball Center (Seattle)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Seattle Pickleball Tournament event location.
• Toyosu Community ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTokyo church where Ian and Chihiro Nagata serve as pastors; planted by Nagatas along with another family with vision for reaching 2% of Toyosu residents with the gospel.
• Japanese Evangelical Missionary Association (JEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetworking and equipping group with around 1000 members representing most evangelical missionaries in Japan. Jon Robison serves on Leadership Team and Missional Thinking ministry team.
• Keisen Christ Church NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch network in Japan partnering for church multiplication; Robisons work with missionary team on church plant in West Tokyo.
• Nerima Biblical Church (Tokyo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTokyo church where Todd and Jayne Fong serve alongside pastors Seiji and Kathy Oyama with shared vision for reaching young families with the gospel.
• Christ Bible Seminary (Nagoya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaul Kang serves as staff and main interpreter at seminary which trains and sends grace-filled, biblical, humble servant leaders for the Japanese church.
• All Nations Fellowship (Nagoya)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational church in Nagoya where Nakamuras first served upon arriving as JEMS missionaries in 2017.
• Oyumino Christ Church (Chiba)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch started by six missionaries in 1992, grown to 3 locations, 6 Sunday services, and 270 regular worshipers. Chen family serves at Open House English School.
• UNISON Songwriting CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorship songwriting community devoted to writing new Japanese worship songs and developing songwriters; vision to see a movement of songwriting communities resourcing the Japanese church.
• The Gospel Center (Suita City, Osaka)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilingual church in Osaka Prefecture started November 2018; Paul and Rie Mizuki serve as senior members hosting young adult community groups and Bible studies.
• Hope Cafeteria (Hokkaido)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry partnership providing free meals and necessities to struggling families; opened by local church with support from Steve and Miku Inouye.
• Pacific Northwest ChurchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner churches in PNW region supporting AACF campus ministries and Warm Beach Summer Conference.
• Oasis Chapel RifucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch in Miyagi connected to Oasis Chapel Tokyo where Yoshihisa and Ashley Nakamura serve; Yoshihisa's grandfather's home church.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship: InterVarsity is a major evangelical campus ministry organization operating at US universities, including chapters serving Asian-American students. It is highly comparable to JEMS's AACF program in mission, delivery model, and demographic targeting.
• Asian Access (formerly A2): Asian Access is a faith-based organization focused on Japan, training and developing church leaders and missionaries through partnerships with Japanese churches and seminaries. Directly comparable to JEMS's Christ Bible Seminary partnership and church-multiplication focus in Japan.
• Pioneers: Pioneers is a faith-based missionary sending organization focusing on unreached people groups, including Japan, with church-planting and team-based ministry models. Comparable to JEMS in mobilizing career missionaries, facilitating short-term trips, and partnering with local churches for indigenous church development.
• Mission to the World (MTW): Mission to the World is an evangelical missionary sending agency with church planting, member care, and donor-supported missions structure. Comparable to JEMS in its focus on unreached populations, interdenominational partnerships, and integrated short-term and career missionary pathways.
• TEAM (The Evangelical Alliance Mission): TEAM is an interdenominational evangelical missionary sending agency with established Japan ministry and short-term trip programs. It parallels JEMS in structure (missionary sending, donor-supported, church-partnered) and target populations, making it a close functional peer.
• SEND International: SEND International is an evangelical missionary sending organization with a Japan field and broader Asia footprint, recruiting and supporting career missionaries and short-term teams. Like JEMS, it operates donor-funded missionary care, church partnerships, and member mobilization for unreached people groups.
• OMF International: OMF International is a large evangelical missionary-sending organization focused on East Asia, including substantial Japan operations. It is directly comparable to JEMS as an interdenominational para-church sending society that mobilizes career missionaries, short-term teams, and partners with East Asian churches for church planting.

Broad incumbents

• Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ): Cru is a large interdenominational campus ministry with international missionary sending including Japan. It overlaps with JEMS in campus outreach (vs. AACF), donor-supported missions, and global missionary care infrastructure, but operates at much larger scale.
• Young Life: Young Life is a faith-based youth organization running residential summer camps and discipleship programs for adolescents. It parallels JEMS Mount Hermon youth camps (Jr. High, Inter High, Sr. High divisions) in camp-based youth ministry and conference-style programming.
• Greater Europe Mission: Greater Europe Mission is a larger evangelical sending organization with broader geographic scope but similar missionary care, donor development, and church partnership models. While not Japan-focused, it shares JEMS's interdenominational para-church structure and missionary-supporting infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/jems_sports_outreach
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JEMS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/japanese-evangelical-missionary-society

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society