ICM has been blessed with a team of workers devoted to advancing the Gospel.
The staff hails from various countries including Japan and each one has been
given their own calling and gifts to certain parts of the ministry
(Romans 12:4-8). If you would like to speak with one of our staff, please feel
free to contact us.
Below is an introduction about the pastor staff. A short introduction to the
ICM missionaries can be found on the Missionary Staff page.
Pastoral Staff Introduction
 James (Jim) Blocksom - ICM Founder & Pastor Emeritus
Jim is originally from Ohio, USA. In 1954, after the Korean War, while serving
as an optometry officer in the Far East Air Force Headquarters in Tokyo, Jim
became a Christian (in the real sense). After returning to America, Jim gave
up his career as an optometrist to begin preparation to be a church-planting
missionary in Japan. He felt a calling from God to do this work, and received
confirmation that this was God's perfect will when the Lord led him to marry
Barbara, who was also called to be a missionary.
Jim graduated from Trinity Seminary College, and returned to Japan in
1962 with Barbara and their eldest daughter. Since then, Jim has served
the Lord as a church-planting missionary and pastor. In 1981, Jim
received clear guidance to found a lay mission to train laymen to do
evangelism, plant churches and produce the literature needed for such
work, and so, with his 4 youngest children in tow and on a tight budget,
he left the mission to which he had belonged for the last 20 years with
firm assurance that it was God's will to establish ICM. Today, Jim and
Barbara, and five of their seven children, serve with ICM. Jim has a
deep love for the Japanese people and a vitality that has enabled him,
with God's help, to turn his vision into reality.
Jim has written two a bilingual Bible studies: "Abundant Life
Studies" (for those who are not Christians), and "New Life
Studies" (used as a follow-up course for new Christians), in
addition to numerous evangelistic tracts geared especially for the
Japanese.
Book Titles:
• "Abundant Life Studies"
(for non-Christians who want to learn the Bible)
• "New Life Studies" (a
follow-up course for new Christians)
 Chris Momose - Senior Pastor & ICM Press Director
Chris comes from Pennsylvania, USA. His father is a second-generation Japanese-American.
Chris became a Christian in his senior year of high school, and a few years later
began to sense God's call in his life to be a missionary to Japan. In 1983, he got
a job teaching English full-time at the Osaka YMCA, and came to Japan as a
self-supporting ("tent-maker") missionary, trusting that God would lead him
to where he should serve as a missionary. Chris devoted himself to learning Japanese
in his free time and waited for the Lord's guidance.
One day, he received a call from Jim Blocksom, who had tracked him down
through an introduction from a friend of Chris' father. Through this series of
events, Chris began to work with ICM, and he now serves as a pastor, preacher,
Bible study leader and counselor, while heading up ICM's literature ministry
(ICM Press).
Chris enjoys fishing (especially bass fishing), tennis, volleyball, ping-pong
and other sports. He and his wife, Nancy, have four children and live in
the Nara area. Chris has written the bilingual Bible study book
"Protestants and Catholics ... Together?" and has translated two
books into English: "The Miracle Visas" (a biographical novel about
Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara) and "Eternal Blessings" (a book
on the Biblical stand on idolatry and ancestor worship, written by Akira
Takimoto).
Book Titles:
• "Protestants and Catholics ... Together?"
• "Eternal Blessings" (English translation of a book rebuking
idolatry, by Akira Takimoto ).
• "The Miracle Visas" (English translation of a biographical novel
about Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara)
 Peter Blocksom - Pastor & Counselor
Peter is the second son of Jim Blocksom, founder of ICM. He was born in Kyoto and raised in Japan. In 1983, after obtaining his undergraduate degree from an American university, Peter came back to help ICM and attended graduate school at Kyoto University.
Afterwards, Peter directed the Japanese extension of an American university,
which later became Kyoto International University (he became the school president at that time). In 1999, he established KIU
Academy (elementary, junior & senior high school). As KIU
president, Peter is actively involved in the lives of students and young
people.
At ICM, Peter is not only a pastor, preacher, and Bible study leader but he
also serves as ICM's main counselor. Through this ministry, God has used him
to help not only people at ICM, but also Christians from all around Japan.
He and his Japanese wife, Junko, have four sons and are presently living in
the Kyoto area.
 Gregg Hutton - Kyoto Chapel's Resident Pastor
Gregg is from Colorado, USA. In 1984, Gregg came to Japan to serve at ICM and
to marry Becky, Jim Blocksom' eldest daughter. Gregg serves as a pastor,
preacher, Bible study leader and counselor at ICM.
To support his family while working with ICM, Gregg teaches TESOL at Nara
University and Kyoto International University (KIU), as well as teaches at KIU Academy. Gregg
currently resides at Kyoto Chapel with his wife, Becky, and they have four
children.
Currently On Hiatus
 Jonathan Goss - Pastor
Jon is from Idaho, USA and he first came to Japan to work on the Kyoto International Chapel building in 1997.
Afterwards, the Lord led him back to ICM, where he served as a pastor, preacher, and Bible study leader until
the summer of 2008.
Jon and his wife, Kazuko (Cha-Cha), are currently living and working in Orange County, California while their
young son attends school there in order to receive help in dealing with his autism. Jon hopes to get seminary
training while in the States and to return to Japan to continue ministering at ICM if the Lord so leads.
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