Rev. Dr. Jura Yanagihara is an ordained pastor of the Brazilian Christian and Missionary Alliance and president of the Alliance World Fellowship. He studied engineering at the University of São Paulo (B.Sc. 1984) and Yokohama National University (M.Sc. 1987; Ph.D. 1990). Concurrently, he studied theology at the Covenant Seminary of Tokyo (B.D. 1989).
He married Mami in 1988 and together they started Salt of Earth Community (C&MA), the first Portuguese speaking church in Japan. In Brazil, he has served as senior pastor of Rudge Ramos Japanese Alliance Church (1991-2001), founding pastor of Paradise Alliance Church (2000-2016) and is now engaged in an international church planting project (2016-present).
He was also seminary president (1999-2010, 2015-2016) and national church president (2010-2014) of the Brazilian C&MA. His spiritual gifts include teaching, leadership and apostolate. He has a passion for missions, having organized the first long-term missionary project of the Brazilian C&MA. He also has a passion to inspire and help others to fulfill God’s purpose in their lives, having mentored many seminary students and pastors over the years.
Professionally, he had leadership experience as full professor and department head of the University of São Paulo and also as principal investigator of many multi-million international research projects. He has traveled to more than 50 countries and has lectured or preached using the Portuguese, Japanese, English and Spanish languages.
Jura and Mami have three grown children: Daniel (married to Paula), Priscila (married to Esteban) and Damaris (married to Wesley), all of them active in ministry.