MeitoJunction.com

Byron Peterson

Byron Peterson is a native Montanan and electrical engineer/plasma physicist who has been teaching and doing research related to magnetic fusion energy at a large Japanese government laboratory on the outskirts of Nagoya for the past 15 years. He and his wife, Kazumi, have a seven-year-old daughter, Ayumi (standing front and center on the CD cover), who keeps them very, very busy. Byron has been singing harmony in church since before he joined the children’s choir directed by his mother, Pat. He has been learning to play the banjo for over 25 years and recently took up the mandolin because he can not play a D chord on the banjo.

Willam Matheny

William Matheny has lived, worked, and played in the Nagoya area since 1990.
If pressed, he will admit to being born in southern California, but feels very strongly that his true hometown is in Washington State. His involvement with music at Meito Christ International Church began with a coincidence: “I was on my way back to Japan with a mandolin I’d just bought and happened to run into Bill Acton in the Portland (Oregon) airport. Bill was carrying a guitar (as usual) and invited me to come and play. Looking back now, I can see that a chance meeting was the beginning of something truly wonderful. Bill and Pastor Tom Steenberg introduced me to the Praise musical tradition and for that I am profoundly grateful.”

Allen Williams

Allen Williams hails from Illinois but spent many years living, working, teaching studying and generally stalling with getting on with his life in Murray, KY. After finishing an MA he headed to Korea for a year that turned into 6. Since 2001 he’s been living and working in Japan while continuing to torture people with his attempts at music. Music has been an important part of his life since early childhood when he sang in church with his brothers and sister billed appropriately as the Williams Family (original, right?) Forced into moving into the front of the band when the current music director left, he’s actually practicing and becoming a fairly solid guitarist and vocalist. He lives in Nagoya, Japan with his wife, Sulseob, and their two sons, Alex Bynn and Bram Ahn (pictured on the cover of “Sunday Sessions”).

Jimmy Jinushi

Jimmy Jinushi plays guitar and sings at Meito Christ International Church. Jimmy is married and has 2 children. Jimmy has been active in the community playing guitar and leading music at ICAN (International Christian Academy Nagoya) as well as being a regular member of the band at Meito Christ International Church and sometimes a fill-in music leader. Jimmy also plays piano and flute, writes music for the guitar. His piece, “Pray”, has been a favorite for the meditation music for the candle lighting and extinguishing portions of the  services.

Yoshiharu "Yoshi" Masuda

Yoshiharu “Yoshi” Masuda is a self-taught stand-up bass player. He’s been joining in on the music at Meito Christ International Church’s English language services with his distinctive bass for the past couple of years. He’s also active in several charities and participates in fund raisers for organizations such as HOPE International. In 2007  he  rode his bicycle for about 500 km in Cambodia to raise money to dig wells.  He and his fellow students are now (July, 2010) on the project of  Lake Biwa Challenge  (1000 km by bicycle for 1 million yen).