History

Anaheim Japanese Free Methodist Church (AJFMC) officially organized in 1923, had started with a small home group led by Chiyosa Miyabe in 1921 to meet the needs of Japanese speaking immigrant families in the neighborhood. The connection to this Japanese community continues to the present. The first AJFMC church building was built in 1924 at a location now 1020 N. Palm St., Anaheim. In 1933, the church relocated to 914 N. Citron Street in Anaheim.

The church was closed during WWII and was used as storage by Japanese evacuees. In 1964, AJFMC relocated to its then newly built church at 1001 N. Mayflower. In 2003 the church was renamed to Anaheim Free Methodist Church. We have members who have attended our church for over 70 years! There have been expansion and remodel projects to our facility. Most recently after years of planning and fundraising, a chapel modernization project was completed in March of 2019.

AFMC’s Mission: To be a Church Without Walls. To faithfully serve our Lord, we avoid wherever possible those barriers which prevent us from the pursuit of our Vision. We have the perfect model in Jesus who ministered to people without any barriers. Our spirituality, community, and work for Him are not limited to AFMC’s structures and we encourage our members to step outside of their comfort zones.

AFMC has also been highlighted under the City of Anaheim’s Japanese American Heritage project:

Interview with Miko Yoshimine
Interview with Carl Yoshimine
Interview with Ikuko Iwashita

In 2021, AFMC celebrated it’s 100th Anniversary:

Anaheim Free Methodist Church Marks 100th Anniversary - Rafu Shimpo