Meet Daniel and Shelby Culwell, IM Missionaries to Japan
Daniel and Shelby Culwell serve on a church-planting team in Tokyo, Japan. In 2019, this team launched a bilingual church called Hope Alive. They are also actively working with all of the local area FWB churches. They do things like construction, web design, graphics, helping with events, finances, and filling in where needed. Daniel and Shelby have the privilege of introducing Japanese people to Jesus for the first time! They have three children: Easton, Barrett, and Lily.
Why Japan?
When less than 2% of a nation’s population are Christians, that nation is considered unreached; less than half of a percent of Japanese are Christian, making Japanese people the second largest unreached people group on earth. Along with their culture being deeply rooted in Buddhism and Shintoism, Japanese people live in a high-pressure society. Suicide is the number one cause of death for high school students, young adults, children ages 10-14, and men ages 20-44 in Japan. In fact over 25,000 people a year take their own lives in Japan. More than 2 million people do not leave their house due to stress, depression, and anxiety that has caused them to disengage from all social interactions.
The need for people to know the hope of the gospel is great, and where the need is great, the opportunity for impact is greater!
127 million people live in Japan, and 99.7% of Japanese people are lost, many having never even heard the Gospel.
IMpact Project – Japan Kei Truck
As we witness how God has blessed Japan, with more Free Will Baptist missionaries being sent to the field in the greater Tokyo area, we recognize a growing need for a small utility truck. Presently, with four FWB churches and 11 missionary units, we have been utilizing personal family minivans for tasks ranging from assisting missionaries in moving and housing setup to engaging in construction/renovation opportunities throughout the area. This has resulted in wear and tear on our personal vehicles and poses safety risks, especially considering that our children travel in the same vehicles as potentially hazardous items like generators, concrete, and construction debris.
Acquiring a small utility truck will address the needs and provide us with a unique ministry tool for the years to come. Living in an area with great public transportation causes many people to need help with a truck in many situations. These trucks are known for their versatility and long life, with many currently on the roads having been in use for over two decades. This investment aims to offer a unique approach to reaching people where they are, ministering to the laborers on the ground in the Tokyo area, and discipling the younger generation through innovative methods of sharing the Gospel, teaching life skills, and meeting community needs.
How they are ministering to people in Japan
How you can pray for the Culwells
- Pray that the Lord would go before us as we minister to the Japanese people. That God would soften their hearts to the Gospel.
- Pray that God would continue to provide for us financially through partners who have a heart to see the Gospel spread in the country of Japan.
- Pray that God would send more missionaries to work alongside us to work in Japan.
Daniel and Shelby Culwell
You can partner with the Culwells to reach people in Japan with the Gospel.