United Church of Christ in Japan
| 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 Nihon Kirisuto Kyokai (Church of Christ in Japan) Numerous evangelical churches |
| Congregations | 1,725 |
| Members | 195,851 |
| Ministers | 2,189 |
| Official website | http://uccj.org |
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. It is a union of thirty-three diverse Protestant denominations forcibly merged by the Japanese wartime government on 24 June 1941. The UCCJ, which is a Japanese Independent Church, is a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Currently, the church has around 195,851 members in 1,725 congregations served by 2,189 pastors.