History

Founded in Kanda in 1875 (Meiji 8) as a Methodist church

Kudan Church celebrates its 147th anniversary this year. Julius Soper , a missionary dispatched from the American Methodist Episcopal Church , began evangelizing in Kanda in 1875 (Meiji 8), and Masao Furukawa , who became the first believer, was baptized by Soper. This is how Kanda Church, the predecessor of Kudan Church was founded.

Kudan Church’s religious tradition has its roots in the Methodist sect, which inherited the faith of John Wesley (1703-1791), an Anglican pastor. Kudan Church is the tenth oldest Protestant church in Japan and the fourth oldest church in Japan.
　

When Soper started evangelizing in Kanda, there were many temple schools in the Kanda area, and Masao Furukawa, who was the first to be baptized, taught reading, writing, abacus and English on the premises of his home in Kanda Nishikicho 3-chome as a private school named “Kinsei Juku,” Soper taught English to the students of Kinkei Juku run by Furukawa. On Sundays, he preached Christian sermons to around 25 people who were mostly students.

Then after, the location of the church has changed several times as attendance has increased. In 1897 (Meiji 30), under Yoichi Honda, the 6th pastor of Kudan Church, who was concurrently serving as the director of Aoyama Gakuin at the time, the church decided to build a new chapel at the current location.

As mentioned in Matthew 7:24-27 in the New Testament, Kudan-zaka (nine-step hill) with a solid foundation was chosen as a candidate site. At the time of construction, the name of the church was also changed to Japan Kudan Bii (Methodist) Church.

Consecrated the first chapel in 1898 (Meiji 31)

In 1898 (Meiji 31), the first European-style chapel modeled after the Trinity Church in Boston, USA, was dedicated.

This chapel has given many people faith in Jesus Christ in spite of many difficulties during the period of great social change from the Meiji, Taisho and Showa periods.

And for about half a century until it was destroyed by fire in the Great Tokyo Air Raid in March 1945, worship services were held in this chapel every week and it became a place of prayer and missionary work of Kudan Church.

Reconstruction of the chapel that was destroyed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid.

The original chapel and its parsonage were completely destroyed in the Great Tokyo Air Raids during the World War Ⅱ but in 1949 (Showa 24), through the prayers of Rev. Kiyoshi Fujioka and the congregation, it was decided to rebuild the chapel. In 1950 (Showa 25), the second chapel was dedicated using part of the war damage reconstruction funds.

The second chapel was characterized by a wooden building that gave a feeling of cozy and warmth as it was surrounded by trees of various sizes. This chapel was known to many people for many years as a “church in the forest in the city”.

The church continued to grow in this new chapel rebuilt after the War. In 1960 (Showa 35), the 85th anniversary ceremony was held under the leadership of Pastor Toyosaburo Miyakoda. Afterwards, the facilities were improved by the construction of a parsonage. Church’s activities became very active, centering on the Youth Association and Women’s Association. In 1963, the Kudan Church of the United Church of Christ in Japan was formally established as a religious corporation. Kudan Church celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, October 12, 1975 where Kudan Church began its second century since its foundation with a memorial service.

In 1995 (Heisei 7), the current 3rd generation chapel was consecrated.

In 1992, in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of Kudan Church’s foundation, it was decided to build a new chapel for the third generation. The reconstruction plan itself had been under discussion for about 20 years given the deterioration of the previous church building, but it was not realized due to numerous challenges but finally realized.

Characteristics of the church

The first is that it has a sharp-edged structure, imagining the church of salvation seen in Noah’s Ark as it raises its sails high and walks toward the future. Secondly, inside the chapel, in order to encourage us to “look up to the cross” and praise Jesus, we have placed the “wooden cross” that the Lord Jesus hung at Golgotha in front of the altar. And also the “Seat of Grace,” which is a tradition of a Methodist church is established. The third is that many spaces have been incorporated to secure enough places for those who come to the church to find peace of mind.

The Future of Kudan Church

Kudan Church aims to be a church open to the future while firmly inheriting the history and tradition of the Protestant faith in Japan. As a proof of our faith, we hold up our cross high, embrace the wind of Jesus Christ and receive the wind with our whole body, and have a desire and strong faith to become a church that is suitable for the age of globalization and that is open to the community in Kudan. As a church that lives in words, we want to respond to God’s commission.

History of Kudan Church

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