Arvada – Every Sunday, a group of Christians from throughout the metro area gathers here at a pagoda-like church to praise God in two tongues – English and Japanese.
The Simpson United Methodist Church is a multiethnic congregation, but most worshipers are Japanese and the church is rooted in Japanese culture and traditions.
Some of the elder parishioners recall when Sunday Japanese-language, or “Nichigo,” services drew as many as 70 people in the 1950s and ’60s. But the number has dwindled to about a dozen, and the group rotates service duties.
“Every week, it changes,” said Charlotte Namba, 67, a longtime member. “I wish we could afford” a Nichigo minister.
Even young parishioners who worship in English realize the importance of keeping the Nichigo tradition alive.
“I am so sad there is no Nichigo pastor,” said 22-year-old Akiko Miyake-Stoner.
The church offers a main Sunday service in English that incorporates Japanese elements through dance, music and language. The church has a steady core of about 150 who attend the services.
Calvin Green, 57, a Navy veteran who served in Asia and married a Japanese woman, has been a church member for 16 years.
“I’d hate to see it go away,” Green said of Nichigo services. “But I don’t know what we can do.”
The church has been at West 60th Avenue and Wolff Street since 1967, and parishioners from around the metro area attend.
Cultural events at the church include Hina Matsuri (Girls’ Doll Festival or Girls’ Day Festival); an arts and crafts sale and showcase, coming up in October; and an Asian Food Bazaar.
“Part of the culture we pass down is through our food,” said Namba.
Doug Burke, a senior vice president with the Colorado Credit Union League, has worked next door to the church for 19 years.
Burke said he attended a service at the church after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and that his company buys tickets to Simpson events such as the food bazaar.
“They have always been excellent neighbors,” Burke said.
The church offers Bible study, spiritual retreats, yoga classes, quilting circles, Japanese language study and band practice. Music is also an integral part of the church’s chemistry.
“I heard they needed an alto in the choir – that’s why I’m here,” said Patty Taylor, a Colorado native who joined Simpson Methodist five years ago.
The congregation will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2007. Originally part of the Japanese Methodist Episcopal Mission, the church held its first English service in 1943. It merged with Simpson United Methodist Church in the early 1960s.
“We are a very friendly church,” said Janet Redford, the church’s program director. “That is one of our gifts.”
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303 820-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
