UCCJ Naniwa Church, Protestant church in Kōraibashi, Japan.
UCCJ Naniwa Church is a Protestant church building at 2-6-2 Kōraibashi, designed by Takenaka Corporation under the guidance of William Merrell Vories and completed in 1930. It faces the Sankeibashi-suji street, where gas lamps and modern buildings such as the Cotton Industry Hall and Yagi Trading stand. The church hall contains a pipe organ with 254 pipes, renewed in October 2002.
The congregation was founded on 20 January 1877 as Naniwa Kōkai inside Matsumura Clinic; Paul Sawayama, who had studied theology at Northwestern University in the United States, received Japan's first ordination and became its first pastor. In January 1878 it joined Umemoto Church (now Osaka Church) to found Baika Girls' School, today Baika Gakuen. The present church building was completed in 1930, designed and built by Takenaka Corporation under the design guidance of William Merrell Vories' office.
The congregation was founded on 20 January 1877 as the Naniwa Kōkai in Matsumura Clinic, and it is described as Japan's first self-supporting church. Its first pastor, Paul Sawayama, had studied theology at Northwestern University in the United States and received the first ordination by laying on of hands in Japan. In January 1878 the church joined Ume moto Church, today's Osaka Church, in founding Baika Girls' School, now Baika Gakuen.
The church offers free admission and sits just a five-minute walk from Yodoyabashi Station. The station is served by two railway lines, making it easy to reach from different parts of the city.
The organ was renewed in October 2002 and now has 254 pipes. The church also faces Sankyūbashi-suji, a street lined with gas lamps and modern buildings such as the Cotton Industry Hall and Yagi Trading. The congregation was founded in 1877 as Japan's first self-supporting church, with Paul Sawayama as first pastor after receiving Japan's first ordination.
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