At IFFEC Worldwide 2026 in Kenya, the International Federation of Free Evangelical Churches welcomed a new member from Japan: a federation of four church bodies that applied together and joined as one.
The federation is known in Japanese as 日本自由福音教会連盟. Its membership application uses the name "The Japan Free Evangelical Church Federation". The membership was approved at the IFFEC General Assembly, held during the Worldwide gathering at Brackenhurst near Nairobi. The assembly marked the welcome with a time of prayer for Japan and the Japanese federation.
Four bodies, one membership
The four member bodies, as their English names appear in the membership application, are:
- the Japan Free Evangelical Church,
- the Japan Covenant Church,
- the Mission Covenant Church of Japan, and
- the Evangelical Free Church of Japan.
They have worked together through youth activities, cooperation in mission, and joint gatherings for pastors and other church workers. They joined IFFEC as one federation while keeping their own identities.
How the application went
The federation decided in 2025 to apply for membership. It then prepared documents on its faith, history, organisation and the ministries of the four bodies, and the application went through IFFEC's review process before it was brought to the General Assembly.
IFFEC describes itself as "not an organisation, it's a network consisting of federations coming from the same historical, theological and spiritual roots." Before the conference, its website listed 31 member federations, one associate member and a regional association of seven national churches.
What the federation hopes for
For the Japanese churches, membership is an opportunity to deepen fellowship with churches around the world through prayer, personal exchanges, connections between younger generations and cooperation in mission.
This report is based on information provided by the Japan Free Evangelical Church Federation, which has reviewed the text. Connexion will report further on the federation and its member bodies.
