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We make our home in Tokyo, Japan, ministering in church planting and leadership development under the Evangelical Free Church of Canada Mission (EFCCM), in partnership with the EFC of America International Mission (EFCA-IM). From 1986-93 we planted the Owariasahi Evangelical Free Church in the greater Nagoya area. During three of those years Dale served as the field leader for the Japan ministry of the EFCA-IM. From 1999-2003 we planted the Higashimurayama EFC (Sunrise Chapel) in Tokyo. Currently we are planting the Tomioka EFC, about 90 minutes north of Tokyo. Dale also lectures in theology at Japan Bible Seminary, at Tokyo Christian University, and at the EFC of Japan Lay Training Center.
Ann is from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where she was raised on a vegetable farm, Maxwell's Farm. After graduating with a B.R.E. from Glen Cove Bible College in 1974 she served for four years as Director of Christian Education (part time) at First Evangelical Free Church of Maine, her home church in Portland Maine. Then in 1982 she completed her M.A. in Christian Education at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS). While studying there she met and married Dale. She knew that living in Japan came as part of the marriage package!
Dale was born and raised in Japan as a <missionary kid>. His parents, Lea and Louise Little, first served in China under the China Inland Mission and then in Japan under the Overseas Missionary Fellowship before transferring to the EFCA-IM in 1965. A few years of Dale's childhood were spent in northern BC and Alberta, his parents' home area. After graduating from Trinity Western University (TWU) with an A.A., Dale earned his B.A. in philosophy and anthropology from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in 1977. Both universities are located in the greater Vancouver area of BC, Canada. After study at both Regent College in Vancouver and at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) in Boston, Dale received his M.Div. degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) in 1982. Dale met Ann at breakfast one morning shortly after he began studying at TEDS. Seventeen months later they were married. Dale also holds a Ph.D. in systematic theology from TEDS (2000).
Our next home assignment is tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2008. We alternate home assignments, taken every other year, between Maine and BC, Canada. Our 2008 home assignment will be in Maine.
