3xM starts media ministry project in Japan

A 10-year evangelical journey to the East culminates in the land of the rising sun.

Following nearly a decade of prayer, planning, and navigating the nuances of cross-cultural collaboration, God has given 3xM the greenlight to begin media missionary work in Japan.

After travelling to Japan in 2012, 3xM CEO, Martien Timmer felt a deep conviction that the dream God gave Him to bring media ministry to Japan was not simply a personal inclination, but a prophetic directive.

Determined to be obedient to the call, Timmer and his team worked tirelessly researching strategies that would enable them to navigate the dichotomy of this modern yet very traditional society. “It wasn’t easy,” Timmer says, “there were major cultural differences that we had to bridge in order to work in Japan. It’s a modern, but very complex society in which we want to reach people.”

Despite these challenges, the opportunity to expand its recent emphasis on social media discipleship made this modern country the ideal candidate for growing 3xM’s strategy and ambition to make 1,000,000 disciples by 2030.

Leveraging 40 years of experience in creating strong in-country relationships has therefore been instrumental in establishing 3xM’s 1-year pilot project with its partner in the region, that will see the creation of bespoke Christian content that resonates with the Japanese cultural context starting 1 November 2021. With a populace of approximately 126 million people, the prospect of growing the 1.5% Christian population in the country is one Timmer and his team relish.

“We are grateful that what God spoke to us 10 years ago can be fulfilled. We have a lot of confidence in this partner and are curious about what God will do among the Japanese people!” Timmer exclaims.

3 billion people have never heard of Jesus Christ. For more than 40 years, 3xM has been bringing the Gospel through modern media (television, the internet, and social media) in hard-to-reach countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Somalia, and regions across West Africa and Central Asia. It is our ambition and commitment to bring 1,000,000 people to salvation by 2030, using modern media to convey the message of Jesus Christ. With local aftercare teams we offer a listening ear, answers to pertinent questions of faith, and where possible, referral to local churches.

Note to editors:

  • For security reasons, we are not able to give exact names of persons and agencies involved.
  • Martien Timmer, CEO, is available for interviews.
  • For more information, please contact Milaine de Roos, Manager Communication & Fundraising, tel. 0031 33 286 4103, mobile 0031 6 2011 0829, m.deroos@3xm.nl.