Jeff and Barb Chapman
First Baptist Church * 402 11th Ave SE * Roseau, MN 56751 * (218) 463-2513 * office@fbcroseau.org
Jeff and Barb Chapman were appointed as Baptist General Conference (BGC) missionaries in 1997, and arrived in Japan as full-time missionaries in 2000. We were privileged to have them visit with us here at First Baptist during Rickshaw Rally Vacation Bible School in 2004.
While attending Bethel College, chapel speakers and professors who had been missionaries influenced Jeff. Jeff attended an Urbana missionary conference, and made a commitment to be a full-time missionary. Putting feet to his commitment, Jeff when to Japan as a short-term missionary. He returned from that year a different person - engaged to be married, and also engaged by the Japanese people.
During Barb's senior year at Northwestern College, she was challenged to consider careers in Christian organizations that would be suitable for math majors. Barb had assumed missions wasn't an option, and was surprised to learn that math majors often made very good linguists. She began to consider short-term missions.
Barb and Jeff met at the San Francisco airport as they both headed off to Japan. After returning to Minnesota, they were married and a year later went back to Japan to serve as short-term missionaries together. For three years they served as youth leaders in a Japanese church. During this time Jeff learned to speak Japanese, and developed a greater burden for sharing Christ with the Japanese people.
While serving in Japan, Barb developed a deep love for the Japanese people. That was part of what God used to convince Barb that God wants her and her family to have a long-term ministry in Japan. Traditionally evangelism has been a slow process in Japan, yet she believes God has some wonderful plans for Japan.
