Born in an Adventist home in Cote d'Ivoire (West Africa), Messan Ehonam Komedja is a Togolese citizen. He learned to love Jesus and obey the 10 Commandments from childhood and grew up singing, reciting Bible verses, and even preaching.
However, it was never his dream to become a pastor, for after finishing High School, he tried to go to France to study Accountancy. Fortunately, his visa was denied, and in trying to find out what God's will was for him, he received God's call and knew from that time that he was to live a different life and be God's servant.
It took him four years before leaving Africa in 2006 for the Philippines, where he finished his BA in the Theology at the Northern Luzon Adventist College. He also had the privilege to study at the Adventist University of the Philippines for two years before transferring to NLAC. After his graduation in 2011, he was called to serve the Japan Union Conference as a volunteer, teaching English and the Bible in an Adventist Language school located in Tokyo (Japan). He then moved to Okinawa in 2013 and became the foreign English teacher for the Adventist Junior High and Elementary Schools on the island. It took him another four years to finally join the pastoral ministry in Japan by succeeding Pastor Richie Charles toward the end of September 2015.
Pastor Messan is married to Maisa Ayumi Mandarino de Moraes, a beautiful Brazilian woman, with one son, Samuel Makoto. They are privileged to have Okinawa International Seventh-day Adventist Church as their first church in the ministry. Pastor Messan and Maisa as a couple, understand and speak about five major languages (English, Japanese, Portuguese, French, Spanish). Our Japanese friends, are welcomed to church every Sabbath as Maisa leads a ministry dedicated to interpret the service into Japanese.
It is their joy to serve this multicultural, loving and caring church and pray that their ministry will touch lives and be a blessing to everyone that comes to OIC.
However, it was never his dream to become a pastor, for after finishing High School, he tried to go to France to study Accountancy. Fortunately, his visa was denied, and in trying to find out what God's will was for him, he received God's call and knew from that time that he was to live a different life and be God's servant.
It took him four years before leaving Africa in 2006 for the Philippines, where he finished his BA in the Theology at the Northern Luzon Adventist College. He also had the privilege to study at the Adventist University of the Philippines for two years before transferring to NLAC. After his graduation in 2011, he was called to serve the Japan Union Conference as a volunteer, teaching English and the Bible in an Adventist Language school located in Tokyo (Japan). He then moved to Okinawa in 2013 and became the foreign English teacher for the Adventist Junior High and Elementary Schools on the island. It took him another four years to finally join the pastoral ministry in Japan by succeeding Pastor Richie Charles toward the end of September 2015.
Pastor Messan is married to Maisa Ayumi Mandarino de Moraes, a beautiful Brazilian woman, with one son, Samuel Makoto. They are privileged to have Okinawa International Seventh-day Adventist Church as their first church in the ministry. Pastor Messan and Maisa as a couple, understand and speak about five major languages (English, Japanese, Portuguese, French, Spanish). Our Japanese friends, are welcomed to church every Sabbath as Maisa leads a ministry dedicated to interpret the service into Japanese.
It is their joy to serve this multicultural, loving and caring church and pray that their ministry will touch lives and be a blessing to everyone that comes to OIC.