Pastors & Staff

Rev. John is the Senior Pastor at Wesley, as such, he has overall responsibility for the administrative and spiritual needs of the church. He also helps to guide and shape the vision for the church. He is an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church, holds a Masters of Social Work from University of California at Berkeley and a Masters of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary.  Previously Rev. John was the pastor at Pine UMC, Davis UMC, and Lake Park UMC. Most recently he directed the Asian American Language Ministry Plan, one of six national ethnic plans of the United Methodist Church, which was housed at the General Board of Global Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
Rev. John is passionate about social justice. His motivation comes from family’s experience during WWII of being illegally incarcerated by the U.S. government simply because of their Japanese American heritage. His hope in ministry is to inspire people to discover how Bible stories can inform our present day spiritual journey.
In his spare time he loves to spend time with his long-time partner Luz, grab  dinner with his college-age daughter, take long walks with his dogs, try out new pastry recipes, travel, and listen/read any books or watch any movie with some spiritual overtones. He is an avid golfer, enjoys his daily meditation practice and loves to stay curious.

Mark grew up on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula and studied Religion and Music at Seattle Pacific University. He also holds a Masters of Arts in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. Before coming to Wesley in 2015, he worked in churches in San Bernardino, Saratoga, Santa Cruz, and Cupertino. Mark is also a playwright and composer. His works include Doors Open, Epistle: Paul Sends the Galatians a Letter, Baptizer, Give Me Shelter, and “My Soul Thirsts for God”.Mark provides oversight and support for our adult Bible Studies and Small Groups. He also works with Wesley’s Compassion and Social Justice programs as well as the Music Ministry including our Praise Band and Choir.
Mark‘s wife Phyllis Matsuura works as Program Manager at Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas. Between them they have two daughters, two sons, and two granddaughters. Mark enjoys kayaking on the Bay, hiking in the hills, cycling, and camping. He is also a volunteer umpire for Little League Baseball and Softball.

With a background in education and community engagement, Kelli oversees the Children & Youth ministries, as well as supports other church events, finance, and stewardship efforts. The Japantown community is home for Kelli and her family, so the opportunity to work at Wesley and collaborate with local businesses and organizations has been one for which she is very grateful. 

Peter joined the Wesley UMC church staff in 2021 after retiring from an Information Technology career in the Financial Services industry.  Peter grew up at Wesley church and currently resides in the East Bay with his family. Peter enjoys meeting up with friends for a casual round of golf and watching Golden State Warriors games in his free time. 

A mom of three boys, Hatty keeps busy volunteering at their school and keeping up with their various activities. She loves seeing children’s eyes light up as they learn new things, and also learning new things from them. In her role as Director of Children’s Ministry, she is looking forward to building relationships with the children and families of God’s Garden as they grow in faith together. 

As a San Jose native, Lauren grew up attending Wesley UMC all of her life.  Lauren looks forward to further connecting with and helping the youth explore their faith as one of the CAF Directors. In the time that she is not working or studying, she loves to bake, hang out with friends and family, and explore Santa Cruz! 

Kasper was born and raised in the Bay Area and has been attending Wesley since 2016. He is passionate about creating a safe space for fellowship and spiritual growth for high school youth at Wesley, as well as working with Wesley’s Reconciling Committee to create a intergenerationally queer-affirming church. When he is not at church, he can be found cheering on local minor league sports teams or hanging out with his dog Keats. 

Kelvin was born and raised in Japantown and has a house a block away from WUMC. He was the postal carrier for 27 years in Japantown. He enjoys being a part of WUMC, Japantown Prepared, and JCCsj. He if very active in our community. 

Shane Cantanho grew up in the Bay Area and has a Bachelor’s degree in music from SJSU.  Before coming to Wesley, he accompanied part time for Willow Glen UMC and subbed for La Trinidad.  When he is not accompanying, he is teaching, performing, and doing other music related work.