Meet the New Slate of Elders

Catherine Sasanuma – President

Catherine is from Seattle WA.  Catherine's love of Christ grew from her elementary school years. She attended Calvary Temple, Assembly of God, through college. At Calvary Temple, she taught junior high Sunday school and drove a school bus for the youth outings as well. Later she joined University Presbyterian Church and served meals to homeless youth. After college she went to L’Abri in Switzerland, founded by Francis Schaefer, to contemplate her faith in Christ.

In 1993 Catherine married Taisuke Sasanuma and moved to Japan. She found Tokyo Union Church and for decades God has used people at TUC to help her faith grow. Taisuke and Catherine have two sets of twins, Julia and Andrew, who are 24, and Sasha and Christopher, who are 21. Raising them in the knowledge of God at TUC has been central to Catherine’s time in Japan. TUC’s confirmation process and youth service trips have been keys to building their faith. Catherine loved teaching Sunday school and working with the hospitality team to make delicious and merry events happen. She served as elder of Children, Youth and Women for 5 1/2 years, and chaired the Associate Pastor search as well. She also worked on the team that renovated the Fellowship Hall.

Catherine graduated from Seattle Pacific University (Methodist) and from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Prior to moving to Japan, she worked for the government and for NGOs. In Japan, she serves on the Asian University for Women Support Foundation, the Portland Japanese Garden International Board of Advisors, and as a Trustee for the American School in Japan and has fundraised for several of these organizations.  Catherine loves travel, art, arranging flowers, good food, aqua aerobics, walks, watching movies, and tennis.

Winnie Langelaar – Vice President

Winnie Langelaar grew up in a Christian home in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada on a dairy farm. Her parents were immigrants to Canada from the Netherlands. Her home was a mixture of Canadian and Dutch cultures.  

Winnie has attended church all her life and professed her faith at Dordt College, a Christian Liberal Arts College (now University) in Sioux Center, Iowa.  She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and later also received a Master’s of School Leadership from Dordt University.  Winnie has taught in Honduras, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, US, and now in Japan where she is currently the Middle School Principal at Christian Academy in Japan. Winnie is also a partner missionary with Resonate Global Mission.  She is grateful for the opportunity to serve at Tokyo Union Church: “I have been acutely aware of God’s presence and leading throughout my life.  I have been blessed to serve in different capacities both in schools as well as churches I have attended.  Since coming to TUC, I have loved the diversity of the people, and many times on a Sunday morning, I think worshipping at TUC is a small glimpse of what heaven may be like.”   

Stephanie del Rosario – Clerk

Stephanie del Rosario, or Pepper for short, stepped into Tokyo Union Church one bright Sunday morning back in August 2009. Her pastor back at Capital City Alliance Church in the Philippines told her to find Tokyo Union Church to have a community of faith while being away from home. 

Growing up as a Christian, Pepper knew the importance of having a church family. She immediately became involved in teaching Sunday School for the children and youth. She also became an active member of the Young Adults Group (YAG). A few weeks after joining, she met a new friend, Rance del Rosario. He also volunteered and joined the same ministries as Pepper. Their friendship soon developed into something more and was eventually married at Tokyo Union Church in June 2011. Pepper welcomed beloved daughters, Francesca Anne or Chessie and Daphne Renee in 2012 and 2016 respectively.

Serving the church has been a huge honor in Pepper’s life. She has also been an outreach member, a YAG Coordinator, and a Hospitality Coordinator in the past. Outside church, Pepper currently teaches at Nishimachi International School as a Learning Specialist for students and teachers. 

As this is Pepper’s first time to serve as the TUC Clerk, she hopes to do God’s will in moving with the Spirit. God’s call for the church to be God’s House, My Home still stands. As a church community, we all need to continue to serve in ways that will make people anchor back to the Lord. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 NRSV

Alan Sorba – Treasurer

Alan grew up in Winnipeg, Canada and began his relationship with Jesus Christ during university. He has been in Japan since 2002. He met and married his wife Emi at TUC. They have been blessed with two beautiful daughters, Emma and Anna, who were baptized at TUC. Alan is grateful for his first role on Council as the Membership Elder and since then has enjoyed serving in the Finance team and also as the Treasurer. Alan is a Chartered Accountant and currently works in management at a global bank. He likes spending spare time with his family, participating in running events, and studying the Japanese language.

Vanessa Sihite – Youth Discipleship

Vanessa Sihite started coming to TUC in October 2015 and has been involved in several activities in TUC including MOHN, Greeters (Worship and Music Ministry), as well as Sunday School. She is glad to be a part of TUC where she can learn many things from believers of various backgrounds. She wishes to be more involved in the Youth Discipleship Ministry and welcomes more families of TUC to join the ministry. 

Andy Chen – Nominating

Andy Chen was raised in a Christian home and was confirmed into the United Methodist Church of the U.S. Despite many church youth group activities, he only experienced growth later as an adult through the study of the Bible by the grace of God. He seeks to obey and to heed for it is better than sacrifice and the fat of rams.

 As an undergrad at the University of California at Berkeley, Andy served on the InterVarsity International Ministry Team that reached out to foreign students on campus. His desire to be a self-supported missions-motivated believer brought him to Japan where he continued the ministry under the Tentmaker’s program of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Komagane, Nagano, for one year as an English and Chinese language instructor. He graduated Keio University School of Law LLM and stayed on teaching at Keio University and high school.

 Andy is a member of the Prayer & Healing Ministry Team, UPT, and the Sanctuary Choir at TUC. In his spare time, he likes to plant trees, grow roses and play ice hockey.