Three Japanese congregations merged in 1929 to form the Berkeley United Christian Church. The original 1931 Spanish Revival chapel was designed by Robert Tanaka, who later designed the Oakland Sumitomo Bank Building, with church members donating time and materials to the project. In 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced relocation and incarceration of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans, including many of BUCC’s congregation members and clergy. The church was subsequently boarded up and became storage for the belongings of families who had been incarcerated. Following WWII, the church became a hostel for Japanese American families returning to the area following the closure of the incarceration camps, and later adopted its current name of Berkeley Methodist United Church. Modernist church additions referencing Japanese architectural styles were added in 1955 and 1962 and were designed by church members Kazuo Goto and Harold Hayashi, respectively. Congregation members once more pooled resources and volunteered hours of labor to complete these new additions to serve the growing congregation.

Today, BMUC’s community programming is largely focused on serving marginalized and unhoused neighbors in the rapidly changing Berkeley community. The church’s “Last, Lost, Least” program focuses on serving these community members while also expanding church members’ worldview and compassion. The congregation carefully researches specific community needs and serves over 300 family units every year with essentials and gift card donations. BMUC assists and rents space to organizations focused on serving foster youth, ensuring permanent housing, music education, and volunteer health services. Daruma no Gakko hosts a Japanese culture youth camp in the building, and the congregation has been a longtime supporter of the Wadi Foquin Village in Palestine.

A $75,000 National Fund grant with $75,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will support exterior restoration, including the roof, windows, and doors.

Photo by Takoshi Israels