| The United Church of Christ in Japan 日本基督教団 Nihon Kirisuto Kyōdan | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | UCCJ |
| Classification | Japanese Independent Church |
| Associations | World Council of Churches Christian Conference of Asia National Council of Churches in Japan |
| Region | Japan Eleven other countries |
| Origin | 24 June 1941 Fujimicho Church |
| Merger of | Thirty-three denominations |
| Separations | Anglican Church in Japan Japan Assemblies of God Japan Baptist Convention Japan Holiness Church Japan Lutheran Church Reformed Church in Japan The Salvation Army[1] Nihon Kirisuto Kyokai (Church of Christ in Japan) Numerous evangelical churches |
| Congregations | 1,725 |
| Members | 160,000 |
| Ministers | 2,189 |
| Official website | [1] |
The United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ; Japanese: 日本基督教団 Nihon Kirisuto Kyōdan, or Kyōdan for short) is the largest Protestant denomination in Japan.[2] It is a union of thirty-three diverse Protestant denominations forcibly merged by the Japanese wartime government on June 24, 1941. The UCCJ, which is a Japanese Independent Church, is a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Currently, the church has some about 200,000 members and 1,725 congregations served by 2,189 pastors.[3]