Description of the English Department of Tokyo Musashino Evangelical Free Church (MCC), drawn up by the Pastoral Search Committee

The Tokyo Musashino Evangelical Free Church was started in 1981 as a joint church plant project between the Evangelical Free Church of Japan (EFCJ) and the Evangelical Free Church of America mission arm. Also called “MCC” (Musashino Chapel Center)—which has become its more familiar moniker—this cooperative work targeted the vast western region of Tokyo along with its many suburbs to reach not only the local Japanese people, but also Japanese “returnees” who had lived or studied abroad, as well as the growing foreign English-speaking population. Thus, from the beginning an English service was established, which soon grew into a vital and thriving church body within the main Japanese church. In 2003, MCC modified its structure to designate two interdependent departments, one Japanese and one English, each with its own board which operates under an all-church board.

In its 28 year history, we have been blessed by the ministry of five North American faith-supported missionary-pastors who have devoted themselves to full-time English ministry to this unique and transient body. The MCC English Department is a temporary home church for the many who live in Tokyo for a time, an equipping and sending ministry, and a home church for both Japanese and foreigners who reside here on a long term basis.

Typically there are between 10 and 15 nationalities represented among the 60 to 70 attendees on an average Sunday, and it is a rare occasion not to have first-time visitors. In this way, the English Department of MCC potentially touches far more than just western Tokyo, accruing “alumni” numbering in the hundreds which are spread all over the world.

As such, our approach to fellowship, worship, and self-government is affected by our diversity of cultures, languages, vocations, geographic dispersion, denominations, and length of stays in Japan. Furthermore, as an English speaking community of believers within Tokyo Musashino Evangelical Free Church, we value our mutually beneficial partnership with the Japanese Department of our church.

The purposes of our English Department include ...

• Worshiping and obeying God. Our worship services aim to bring glory to God, increase our knowledge of him, strengthen one another, and motivate us toward obedience and personal holiness. We desire that our church be attractive to both believing and unbelieving visitors, and that these visitors might be enfolded within the life of our church.
• Encouraging and building up one another through prayer, teaching, caring, and serving. We desire to grow in our use of the spiritual and personal gifts God has given us for the benefit of our church.
• Evangelizing and church planting. A proper focus upon God, both personally and as a body, will be evidenced by our concern for unsaved people around us and for the communities in which we live. Our commitment to evangelism extends both to expatriates and Japanese people living in Tokyo. Our usage of the English language is a strategic advantage as we pursue this commitment. We desire to see people come to Christ, healthy churches planted in Tokyo, and missionaries sent out from Tokyo.

March 2009 (Pastoral Search Committee)