Leadership

Bio Coming Soon...

Bio Coming Soon...

Bio Coming Soon...

I grew up in the church and had an abundance of knowledge about the Bible, but was stuck in a cycle of trying to be "good enough" and falling short. In college, God opened my eyes, allowing me to see my heart clearly. Now I am able to rest in Christ, knowing he has covered my sins and I can follow Him, not perfection. I am married to Cody and we have three kids, Parker, Brock, and Bennett. I have my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and am passionate about working in children's ministry. I believe we can show them the Gospel by knowing, nurturing, and teaching their hearts.

Greetings from the Gerlachs! Lauren and I have been married since 2017 and were previously stationed at Whiteman, AFB in Missouri. I am an Aircraft Engine Mechanic in the Air Force, and Lauren is a substitute teacher. Due to military orders, we moved to Okinawa in 2020 and had no idea what God had in store for us. Lauren and I quickly discovered we enjoy Okinawa's Japanese culture and island life. We have also been incredibly blessed by Pillar and the Christ-centered community that comes along with it. God’s presence has been so evident for us through these last two years. We are excited to see how we can continue to serve God during these next two years in Okinawa.

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Melissa and I moved from a small town in southern Illinois to Okinawa with a desire to make Jesus famous in Japan. I have served previously as a youth pastor, deacon, and on short-term missions to India, Albania, Montenegro, Guatemala, Russia, and Uganda. Melissa has served as a worship leader and as director of a pregnancy resource center. In the Fall of 2016, we joined Pillar Church of Okinawa. Together we lead regular English conversation outreach gatherings and serve in the Gospel to Okinawa church planting initiative. On mission with the church, our greatest joy is making Jesus famous in the hearts of Japanese people by bringing the hope of the gospel to the outcast, the downcast, the lost and the hopeless.

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Mary and I were wed in 2012. We are from metro-Atlanta, Georgia. Both of our children Jade and Elijah were born in Yuma, Arizona where we have spent the majority of our time while I have served in the U. S. Marines. 

Jesus has blessed me to know Him and given me the blessing of being discipled by godly men who work full-time in ministries that serve service members. 

My passion is for men’s discipleship. My hope is to develop deep relationships with church family and coworkers that would support generational discipleship. 

I have graduated from Savannah State University and Florida Institute of Technology. 

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My wife, Kim, and I met at the US Naval Academy and have been married since 2007. We have two rambunctious boys Carson and Wyatt, and two dogs.  Kim served in the Navy for nearly 13 years before getting out to pursue other interests and care for our kids, and I’ve been serving in the Marines for nearly 20 years.  Executing orders to Okinawa in 2021 during the height of a global pandemic was a blessing in disguise and a turning point in our lives.  We’ve lived a lot of places and been a part of many churches.  Pillar Okinawa is the first place in a long time where we felt we belonged and were part of a family.  Looking back, we can see that God was guiding us to Pillar Okinawa to serve Him and His wonderful people that make up this church family.

Our passion is God’s Word, and seeing His Will done in our lives and the lives of those around us.  Kim’s passion is educating and equipping others to combat the sex trafficking of children.  Additionally, she desires to use yoga, meditation, and exercise to help others navigate through difficult life circumstances and trauma.  I’m a 2nd year MDiv Student at Liberty University and I really enjoy talking with people about the Bible, theology, and how to follow Christ with joy.  The writer to the Hebrews says it best “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:1-2)

I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, and met the love of my life, Nicole, at the age of 18. We married young and started our life together right after I enlisted in the Air Force in 2006. We are continually blessed with three amazing sons, Ben Jr, Matthew, and James. This is our second time being stationed in Okinawa, and we are very thankful to our Father for this opportunity to see His mercy and grace while our family grows. Nicole and I started the youth program here at Pillar Church of Okinawa and have been blessed by it in many ways. We desire to see the youth of our church grow in their relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Brenna and I have been married since September 2016. We have two little girls, Nellie and Noa. We have always had the desire to serve the LORD in an overseas context and are very excited about joining the Pillar family. I am currently an M.Div. student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and have experience in missions and serving as a youth pastor. I hold an M.S. in exercise science from Liberty University and have experience as a weightlifting coach. Some of my most fruitful time discipling others has been in the weight room and I hope to continue to make that a part of my life. Brenna also holds a degree in exercise science and specializes in training pre/ postnatal women. She is a postpartum doula and passionate about serving women through pregnancy and early postpartum. Nellie is super sweet, very shy, and loves to read. She’s obsessed with dogs and waking up in the middle of the night. Noa is a super happy baby, who loves being outside, eating watermelon, and also waking up all hours of the night. It is a privilege to be a witness to God's work at Pillar Okinawa. May he be glorified in all our efforts.

I arrived in Okinawa in 2008. As a teacher for the Department of Defense schools, I currently teach English and government at Kubasaki High School on Camp Foster.

My wife Kristie and I love serving the local church in a military context, as it is a ripe mission field with constant movement and change. Because of this, we strive to help others connect and grow in a gospel-centered community.

We have served with Pillar Okinawa since early 2016, and we want to encourage military members and their families to “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

I graduated from Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon, and from Boston University in Massachusetts. We have three children: Hudson, Josiah, and Grace.

Hi, I'm Grant. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Lorna. In high school Lorna said that we would someday be missionaries; I was pretty hesitant to believe her. But...in the summer of 2001 I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and effectively became a missionary to the military communities that we would be stationed with. Lorna and I tied the knot in 2002 and we are blessed with three amazing boys, Gideon, Ephram, and Judah. Since God saved me as a teenager, I have firmly believed in worship as a way of life as outlined in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” God also put a great desire for music in my heart and the desire to connect our mind and affections to the God of the universe through music. I have been leading worship through song for various churches and parachurch ministries since the late 1990's. In early 2016 I felt called to be a partner with the planting of Pillar Church of Okinawa by leading the weekly gathering in worship through song and I have loved this church family ever since. I retired from the Air Force in 2021 and have not looked back, but look forward to what God is doing through us all at Pillar here in Okinawa.