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The first worship service of Westchester Japanese Church was held
on April 28, 1996. Thirty-one people met in a Sunday School room
of Ridgeway
Alliance Church in White Plains, NY, at 5:30 pm. After a welcome
by Rev. Saigo, the congregation offered praise to God who had brought
about this new church. The pastor then challenged the congregation
from the Word of God. The birth of WJC has come after a long pregnancy.
For more than twelve years, Ridgeway Alliance Church has held a
Bible study and English class for Japanese ladies. For many years
it has been led by Mrs. Anne Chatfield. As Japanese ladies have
come to the Lord, Mrs. Chatfield has prayed for a Japanese church
where they could be dsiciples and grow. WJC is an answer to those
prayers.
WJC was scheduled to meet for worship once a month until the fall.
After the second worship service in May, however, the congregation
asked if regular weekly worship services could be started immediately.
So, on June 16, WJC began weekly services.
Through the first summer, several special events were held. Rev.
Koji Honda, "the Billy Graham of Japan," came and held a special
evangelistic meeting on Memoridal Day. In October, another well-known
evangelist from Japan, Rev. Murakami, came for special meetings.
As the church grew, more space was needed. On November 3, 1996,
WJC moved to a new location: Tuckahoe Alliance Church. The church
provides more space for youth activities and Christian education
classes. It is also within a three-minute walk of the train station,
through which a lot of Japanese people commute to New York City
everyday.
Because of the fact that many Japanese people in the area are
the residence employees from the companies in Japan and their families,
many church regulars returned to Japan. However, God always brought
the new people, including Christians and non-Christians, to the
church.
In January, 1999, the congregation of Tuckahoe Alliance Church
was officially closed; WJC was given the management of the building
by the Metropolitan Disitrict Office of the C&MA. In September
of the same year, the church was renamed New York Japanese Church
and moved the Sunday service from the evening to the morning while
continuing the evening service as the time for praise and testimonies.
NYJC is working to reach the Japanese community of more than 20,000
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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