Would Like to Know about our Church? Click HERE to learn more about our Sunday service schedule, variety of ministries, history and Pastors!

Welcome to the Westminster Japanese Church Website!

Our church started in 1977 in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, and believes in a firm commitment to Bible teachings in the spirit of the Reformation (Protestant).

There are various gatherings (Bible study meetings, prayer meetings, fellowships of people who gather in the church, etc.) centered on Sunday worship services.

Anyone can participate in worship services and meetings. In addition, there will be simultaneous interpretation in English and childcare by the person in charge at the weekly service, so please feel free to use it if you wish.

We hope that through the words of the Bible, our church will be the heart of as many people as possible in the Japanese community.

Please come to worship once. We'll be waiting for your visit sincerely.

Pastor Toshisuke Ozawa

*Our church has nothing to do with Jehovah's Witnesses, the Unification Church, Mormonism, or any other organization of this kind.



WORSHIP AND MINISTRIES
Sunday Service
We worship every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. (in person and online)

The Westminster Japanese Church belongs to the Presbyterian Church in America, but with people of all denominations, listen quietly to the words of the Bible and hymn.

Don't you have your own Bible or hymn? No problem! They are available at the reception desk.

Other services are nursing for young children, simultaneous interpretation from Japanese to English, and lunch after the first and third Sunday services each month (Lunch is planned to reopen sometime in 2023.). The sacrament ceremony (Holy Communion) is held on the first Sunday of every month.

Sunday schools for children starts at 9:30.
Sunday schools for adults and youth start at 10:00.

First-timers and non-Christians are also welcome.
Please feel free to come to worship with us.


CHURCH ACTIVITIES
You are welcome to join any of the following activities, regardless of age or faith. Due to the pandemic, the following schedules are subjected to change. Feel free to contact us for further details.

Men's Club (after worship on the 4th Sunday)
It is a gathering of male members in the church. We have time to discuss what we have learned from the Bible and what we have experienced. Men's club also hosts annual events to have fun together.

Women's Club (after worship on the 4th Sunday)
The purpose is for the women who gather in our church to sing hymns and play games, valuing the friendly atmosphere, growing together through faith and service, and deepening the bonds between women.

Youth Club (after worship on the 2nd Sunday)
This is a gathering of middle and high school students. We have a time and place to meet with God and study His Word during this important time of growth by facing God as a person, building each other's faith, and asking each other questions.

Prayer Meeting (every Wednesday)
After reading the Bible and studying briefly, we all pray for various prayer tasks. We do it every Wednesday through online. Contact us for details.

Study Meeting (every Friday at 10:30 a.m.)
For our faith to be established, we need a systematic understanding of biblical teachings. Many Christians have acquired much fragmentary knowledge of the Bible through bible studies and other means. However, to become a mature Christian, we need to grasp the will of God in a holistic, systematic way in the form of doctrine. We study the Westminster Shorter Catechism, two questions a week, hoping that our lives of faith will be enriched.

Sunday School
We study the Bible and God's teachings before the Sunday service. Kids, youth, and adult classes are available depending on the content. For those who have difficulty attending, we also offer online classes via Zoom.

Children's class (every Sunday 9:30 a.m.): In elementary school and above classes, we listen to a teacher's preaching to understand the Bible better and recite scriptures.

Youth class (every Sunday 10:00 a.m.): Students will learn more challenging content related to faith life that is unique to middle and high school students.

Adult class A: We learn from each other in a friendly atmosphere, sharing and asking questions of the pastor from the Bible verses read during the day's service.

Adult class B: This is an adult Bible study group where we study the Word and talk about life in a relaxed and frank manner. Please feel free to join us on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea in hand. Both in-person at the church and via Zoom are available.

Beginner's Study
This is an introductory course for those who want to know about the Bible and what it teaches in Christianity. The course will be completed in 8 sessions in total. Please feel free to contact us at any time if you would like to join the course.

Baptism Preparation Meeting
This is a gathering for those who wish to be baptized to learn about God, man, Jesus Christ, salvation, church life after becoming a Christian, and church government and order. The course will be completed in 6 to 7 sessions. If you wish to have a baptism, please feel free to contact us as we will do so at any time.

MEET OUR PASTOR

Pastor Tsuneyoshi Takeda and Mrs. Makimi Takeda

Pastor Masato Nagaiand Mrs. Midori Nagai

Rev. Masato Nagai
Born in 1958. Graduated from Kobe Reform School Theological School. 　After working as a pastor at Ogaki Church in Gifu Prefecture for four years and Nagaoka Church in Fukuoka Prefecture for 13 years, he became a pastor at the Westminster Japanese Church in May 2012. A family of five, a wife and a daughter and two sons.

Pastor Toshisuke Ozawa and Mrs. Luka Ozawa

Rev. Toshisuke Ozawa
2022-Present Pastor of Westminster Japanese Church
2015-2022 Pastor of Kochi Reformed Church
June 2015 Graduated from Kobe Reformed Theological Seminary
July 2013 Returned to Japan after being led to serve the Japanese church
Feb. 2012 Graduated from Korea Theological Seminary (Korea)
2009-2013 Missionary in charge of the Japanese Worship Ministry at Kyung Hyang Presbyterian Church (Koryo denomination) (Seoul, Korea)
July 2006 Devoted in response to God’s Call
2003-2008 Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) (Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan)
2000-2003 Associate Expert, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris, France
Dec. 2002 Completed doctoral program, Colorado School of Mines, Division of Environmental Science and Engineering (Colorado)
August 1991 Baptized in Ohio
March 1991 Graduated from Kitasato University, Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science (Japan)
1989-1990 Farm Trainee at a dairy farm in Iowa under the university's overseas agricultural training program
1967 Born in Setagaya, Tokyo


CHURCH HISTORY
Name:
Westminster Japanese Church was named for the church that adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith, which best expresses the spirit of the Reformation, in the hope of forming a church that stands firm on the Bible, faithfully obeys the missionary commands of the Lord Jesus, and continues to be reformed by the Bible in the spirit of the Reformation.

Start of evangelism:
On March 18, 1977, Pastor Takeda and his family arrived in Atlanta.
They began evangelism while working as churchwardens for Westminster Presbyterian Church. The first Japanese Lord's Day service was held on April 24.

Full-time Since:
On July 1, 1978, the Westminster Japanese Church became a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). With the encouragement of PCA, North Georgia Middle Church, and other friends of the faith, we began full-time evangelism.

Move:
The pastor moved to 2512 Ball Park Dr., Tucker, GA 30084 on August 19, 1978; since then various meetings and activities, other than worship services, were held at the pastor's house.

Change of Pastor's Status:
Effective July 1, 1985, Pastor Takeda was assigned to work under the Mission to North America (MNA) under the jurisdiction of the Conference.

Licensed as a religious corporation:
The State of Georgia recognized and licensed the "Westminster Japanese Church Inc." on January 8, 1987.

Purchased land and building:
On August 27, 1987, the Westminster Japanese Church received an answer to 10 years of prayer, the purchase of land and a building located at 11450 Bowen Rd., Roswell, GA 30075. The pastor and his family moved to the church.

Change of Service Location and Time:
For the first ten years of our ministry, since the start of the mission, we had been holding Sunday services in the afternoon at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The last service was held on October 25, 1987. After this last service we started services at 10:30 a.m. at the new location.

Construction of the new worship center and parsonage:
The foundation work for the new church building started in the spring of 2004, and the building permit was obtained on June 21, when full-scale construction began. The first service was held in the new sanctuary on November 21.

Dedication Ceremony:
On April 3, 2005, we held a dedication ceremony for the new church building and parsonage.

30th Anniversary Commemorative Project:
In April 2007, we held the 30th anniversary service (lecturer: Rev. Masato Nagai) and held a commemorative concert with Toshiya Inagaki and Kumiko Endo providing a good opportunity to let the Japanese community know about the church.
In September 2009, 800 copies of the 30th anniversary commemorative magazine were published and distributed.

Pastor Change:
Pastor Masato Nagai and his wife, chosen to be Pastor Takeda's successor, arrived in Atlanta on April 26, 2012. We held a ceremony for Pastor Masato Nagai on May 6.
Pastor Takeda continued at the Westminster Japanese Church for one year as he helped with the transition to Pastor Nagai. Pastor Takeda then retired and became Pastor Emeritus at the end of April, 2013.

40th Anniversary Celebration:
On April 23, 2017, we observed the 40th anniversary of our founding (Lecturer: Tsuneyoshi Takeda, Pastor Emeritus) and held a commemorative concert with Ms. Rutsuko Honda.

Pastor Change:
Pastor Toshisuke Ozawa and his family, chosen to be Pastor Nagai's successor, arrived in Atlanta on August 15, 2022. On August 26, after a two-week handover period from Pastor Nagai, we held an inauguration ceremony for Pastor Toshisuke Ozawa. Pastor Nagai became a member who lives elsewhere.


CONTACT US
Westminster Japanese Church
11450 Bowen Road, Roswell GA 30075
Phone number: 770-594-1382
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westminsterjapanesechurch