St
Alban’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, October 2006
St. Alban’s Anglican-Episcopal Church – the home away from home for
over half a century for Christians from all nations visiting or living
in Tokyo – celebrated the 50th anniversary of its consecration at the
end of October 2006.
A special commemorative service was held to mark the occasion on
Sunday, October 29, led by the Rt. Rev. Peter Jintaro Ueda, Bishop of
Tokyo. It was attended by no less than three St Alban’s rectors:
current rector, Rev. Randall Nolan, and two of his predecessors
visiting from the United States – Rev. Bob Thacker, who served from
1999-2004, and Rev. Bob Smith, St Alban’s first rector, in the
immediate postwar period. Rev. Smith was appointed in 1955, just after
the congregation was formed, and oversaw both the fundraising for and
building of the church. St Alban’s is the only English-speaking parish
within the Tokyo diocese of the Nippon Seikokai, or Anglican Church of
Japan .
Many present and former parishioners attended the October celebrations,
and alumni and others who have had a continuous association with St
Alban’s over the past five decades were honored at a special dinner on
Saturday, October 28. A historical exhibition of photographs, press
articles and reminiscences from the church’s earliest days was also
held, and after the commemorative service and a buffet lunch on Sunday,
world-renowned organist Douglas Cleveland also gave a recital on St
Alban’s new Jaeckel pipe organ, installed in 2005, to mark the event.
The celebrations concluded with a reception on Sunday afternoon.
St. Alban’s, located in Shiba-Koen, near Tokyo Tower, serves a large
multinational congregation from over 20 nations, including a growing
number of Japanese members. Over the past five decades, it has been the
‘home church’ for thousands of diplomats and business people, students
and tourists, as well as permanent residents of Japan. Established in
1954 by a decree from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Presiding
Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States, St. Alban’s parish
completed construction of its new church at a cost of ¥8.7 million
(US$24,000 at the time). The building, designed and built by renowned
American architect Antonin Raymond, was consecrated by then Bishop of
Tokyo, Timothy Makita, on March 17, 1956. Today it is Tokyo’s only
remaining original wooden church, recognized as a masterpiece of simple
yet striking design. Its altar cross, adorned by a simple metal crown
of thorns, is featured in a book by a former interim rector of the
church, Fr. James Simpson, called A Treasury of Anglican Art.
Special events conducted at St Alban’s over the years have included
Sunday worship attended by the Prince of Wales and Princess Diana
during their state visit to Japan in 1986, a visit by British Prime
Minister Tony Blair and his wife, and Japan’s first performance of the
rock musical Jesus Christ, Superstar, staged in the church nave in 1971.
St Alban’s recently embarked on a Vision Path under which its members
are committed to become a clearer presence in Tokyo, fostering
spiritual growth, engaging in community service, celebrating cultural
diversity, connecting with and welcoming outsiders, and inviting all to
share in the joy of Christ’s healing love.
In the words of Fr. Randall: ‘St Alban’s needs to be a place of
pilgrimage. While we look back on 50 years of ministry and service with
gratitude and thanksgiving, St Alban’s must also be open to the
challenges of the future . . . The last thing we need is for everything
to remain the same.’