During the International Mission Board (IMB) Sending Celebration at the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting, 63 missionaries were commissioned to be sent to other nations. Of those 63, six Oklahoma Baptists were featured, including Tanner and Sallie Mason from Oklahoma City, Frontline South, who are being sent to Fukuoka, Japan.
Japan is a country where the Lord is at work. Despite being home to the world’s second-largest unreached people group, God is preparing workers to proclaim the Gospel in the country. The Masons are moving their family to Japan to share Christ’s love with the nation.
“My wife and I both felt the calling of the Lord to serve amongst people groups where there’s little Gospel witness,” said Tanner. “Japan is one of those countries.”
According to the IMB, statistics show that more than 95 percent of the Japanese population does not have a relationship with Christ. However, it is also considered one of the most religious countries with the majority of its traditions and culture based in Shinto and Buddhism.
This will be the Masons’ second mission trip, their first being to Europe. The Masons were first called to missions at Oklahoma City, Frontline South where they felt God had given them the heart to bless the nations.
“We were exposed to the heart of God,” said Mason. “We saw His heart for the nations, and we believe that He gave us that same heart to go and to bless other churches.”
While in Japan, the Masons will be assisting already established churches in proclaiming the Gospel in Fukuoka, which has a population of 6 million.
The Masons are asking Oklahoma Baptists to pray specifically for the relationships the Lord has prepared in the city, for the movement of the Spirit amongst the Japanese people and for their language learning so they can become fluent in Japanese.
