Koza Baptist Church — Church Directory

Quick Facts

Pastor — the shepherd God holds accountable Chris Eyre (Lead Pastor)

Founded 1963

Denomination Southern Baptist (SBC) — affiliated via Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention

Service Times Sundays 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM, and 11:30 AM (Japanese translation at the 10:00 and 11:30 services); approximately 10 minutes from Kadena Gate 3, 5 minutes from Expressway Exit 5

Men's Ministry No

Kids Ministry Yes

Website kozabaptistchurch.org

Pastor Credentials M.A. Christian Leadership and M.Div. (Discipleship and Church Ministry) from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary; 30 years prior service in the U.S. Marine Corps

10-Point Theological Scorecard

Christology

Is Jesus the only way? (John 14:6)

Baptist Faith and Message 2000 orthodox Trinitarian.

Strong

Scripture

Inerrancy affirmed? Final authority?

BFM2000 affirms inerrancy and verbal inspiration.

Strong

Men's Discipleship

Intentional formation for men?

Not visibly featured on the team page; yellow until verified.

Caution

Soteriology

Faith alone? How is salvation presented?

Standard SBC: salvation by grace through faith alone, regenerate church membership.

Strong

Gender / Biblical Design

Biblical manhood and womanhood by God's design — patriarchal, complementarian, egalitarian, or affirming gender ideology?

SBC complementarian per BFM2000 Article VI; male lead pastor and male elders confirmed (Chris Eyre, Cory Cloud, Jim Knickerbocker, Silvano Kubo).

Lead Pastor Chris Eyre (male); plurality of male elders (Cory Cloud, Jim Knickerbocker, Silvano Kubo)

Strong

Leadership Structure

Male elders/pastors? Accountability?

Plurality-of-elders model in addition to lead pastor — strong polity for Baptist context.

Strong

Preaching Style

Expository or topical/therapeutic?

Expository preaching consistent with conservative SBC norms.

Strong

Mission Clarity

Great Commission central?

Originally an SBC IMB plant; multi-generational missional witness on Okinawa.

Strong

Cultural Alignment

DEI/CRT language? Social justice crowding out gospel?

Strong military-community focus, Japanese cultural integration, no DEI/CRT markers.

Strong

Accountability Structure

Denominational home, elder plurality, or external network — is the pastor answerable to anyone?

SBC affiliation via HPBC — green for confessional accountability.

Strong

Assessment

MOOP attended Koza Baptist Church during his Marine Corps stationing on Okinawa. Adam said 'Koza and Calvary Chapel mainly out there' — Koza Baptist is the dominant military-community Christian church in the Koza/Okinawa City area, planted in 1963 by SBC Foreign Mission Board. The current lead pastor Chris Eyre is himself a 30-year Marine Corps veteran which fits MOOP's profile precisely. Multi-elder polity, BFM2000 doctrinal frame, Japanese-translated services. Strong SBC work. GREEN.

#moop-attended#sbc#okinawa#japan#military-community#marine-veteran-pastor#international#koza

MOOP Engagement Tracker

How this church was personally verified by the MOOP directory team:

✓ Visited the facility in person

✓ Attended a worship service

✓ Researched church website