Jeffery and Akiko both grew up in Christian homes and came to faith at an early age. Akiko is a fourth generation Japanese Christian from the Tokyo area. Jeffery was raised in different regions of Canada. They have three children.

Jeffery felt called to mission work at the age of 12, and came to Japan on his first short-term mission trip at age 20. He later met Akiko while serving as the head of English ministries at a Japanese church in the greater Tokyo area.

Jeffery and Akiko have been serving as Missional Partners with SIM/A3/Asian Access Japan/MissionGlobal since 2000. At the local level they are part of a Tokyo area church, focused on raising and supporting lay leaders in the areas of cell groups, church planting, as well as youth and women’s ministries. At the national level Jeffery serves alongside national leaders in Asian Access Japan. In this context he is focused on supporting regional church planting/mission networks, leadership development cohorts and a system of Barnabas Coaching for pastors and ministry leaders. Jeffery also serves as the Associate Missionary Director for the team of SIM/A3 missionaries in Japan.