Iverson, Dan & Carol

Dan grew up in a ministry family. He met Carol in college where both were discipled. Carol went on to graduate school and Dan became a Marine infantry officer, serving initially in Japan. They married in 1976, and spent seven years in the Marines. God led them to Reformed Seminary where He impressed on them a central Bible theme they had missed: God’s heart for all nations. A team of four seminary couples formed. Three Japanese pastors invited the team to come work together in East Tokyo planting churches to start a presbytery. The four couples made 12-year commitments to Japan. The Iversons arrived first in 1986 with five children.

The Japanese are the world’s second largest unreached people group, but Jesus is building His Church as promised! (Matt. 16:18) God blessed the ministry, churches were planted, and the Tokyo/Chiba Presbytery was born. It now has over 1,000 members in 20 congregations. By God’s grace, the one team has become five teams in Metro Tokyo with more than 120 MTW, other American, Korean, Australian, and Japanese ministry partners. Since 2010, Tokyo city center church planting has become a fruitful new emphasis in partnership with Redeemer City to City. We pray for a church-planting movement throughout Japan. Currently U.S.-based, Dan has handed off duties as pastor, team leader, and country director, and now focuses on mentoring, coaching church planters, teaching/preaching, and recruiting. Carol handed off duties as principal in our team's school, and now focuses on mentoring women, Parakaleo training for women, Japan member care, and teaching.

The Iversons have nine children, eight wonderful spouses, and 34 grandchildren.