Gardena Valley Baptist Church has stood on West 158th Street in the heart of Gardena for more than a hundred years. What began as a small Sunday School for children of Japanese immigrants has become a bilingual congregation offering worship in English and Japanese every Sunday, a full slate of children and youth programs, and mission partnerships on multiple continents. Today the church is known across the South Bay for its multi-cultural, multi-generational life and for the way its Japanese and English ministries share a single campus.
A Century on West 158th Street
The story begins on August 16, 1914, when Rev. Shibata gathered twenty children of Japanese immigrant families into a small rented cottage for Sunday School. The little group grew so quickly that the Los Angeles Baptist City Mission Society (LABCMS) stepped in to help purchase land and build a chapel a few blocks from the present campus, followed shortly by a new youth facility.
That growth was cut short by World War II. Members were forced into internment camps and the property was lost. During the exile, Dr. Ralph Mayberry of LABCMS drove to the internment camp and arranged the ordination of Rev. Paul Nagano so the scattered community could keep gathering for worship. In January 1946 the church reconvened, and over the following decades it slowly rebuilt. The current property was purchased in 1965, a sanctuary and classrooms were built in 1970, and a major renovation in 2007 added a gym, new offices, and updated audio-visual systems. The church now describes itself as a multi-cultural, bilingual community of faith rooted in the South Bay.
Two Languages, One Sunday
GVBC holds Sunday worship in both English and Japanese, and the building hums from morning to evening. The English Sunday Service meets at 9 AM and 11 AM, with the 11 AM gathering also livestreamed on YouTube. The Japanese Sunday Service, led by Nihongo Pastor Eiji Osato, meets at 11 AM and again at 5 PM; the 11 AM gathering is streamed online at live.gvbc-jp.net, with recordings posted to videos.gvbc-jp.net. A short evening service called Michi (道) takes place at 5 PM in Room 201 and runs about forty-five minutes.
Sunday School runs alongside the services. Infants through fifth grade meet at 9 and 11 AM. Middle and high school students meet at 11 AM. The Japanese children's program, J-Street, gathers at 1 PM on Sundays for kindergartners through fifth graders with games, Bible stories, and worship. A Zoom Fellowship follows the morning services at 12:30 PM for anyone who wants to keep talking about the sermon.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. The main phone line is (310) 323-5683, the email is gvbc@gvbc.net, and online giving is available. The church keeps an active YouTube channel where past services can be watched.
Children, Youth, and the Next Generation
Kids Ministry, directed by Susan Wakuta, runs programs for newborns through fifth grade. Kids Church (Sunday School) meets at 9 and 11 AM and follows a rhythm of free play, large-group worship and Bible story, small-group lesson and craft, and a snack. Volunteers are background-checked through Live Scan. Friday Night KidZone for grades one through five meets at 7 PM, and Vacation Bible School runs five days each summer for children age three (potty-trained) through incoming sixth grade.
Parents can register children at the Welcome Center, where first-time families are signed in and shown to their classrooms. Check-in and check-out for nursery through transitional kindergarten happens in the classroom itself; for kindergarten through fifth grade, check-in is in the Kids Worship room and check-out is in the classroom. Parents are welcome to bring diapers, a labeled water bottle, and their own snack if their child has dietary restrictions. Bibles are provided.
Mosaic Ministry serves children with special needs. The program pairs trained volunteer Buddies one-on-one with children in Sunday School, and welcomes professionals with backgrounds in education, therapy, or healthcare to lend occasional guidance. Families fill out a questionnaire so teachers can prepare to support their child.
Youth Ministry, led by Jason Park, gathers middle and high schoolers in two regular settings: Friday Night Youth Group from 7 to 10 PM, and Sunday School at 11 AM. The ministry's aim, drawn from Matthew 7, is to help students build their lives on the firm foundation of Christ. Winter and summer camps round out the year.
Community Groups, Prayer, and Pastoral Care
Community Ministry at GVBC centers on small groups where people study the sermon, share their lives, and serve one another. Groups meet on most days and nights of the week, in homes, on Zoom, and at the church. There are mixed groups for men and women, men's groups, women's groups, young adult groups, a married couples group working through Proverbs, and a caregivers support group that meets once a month on Zoom for those caring for a parent, spouse, or relative. After each service, intercessors are available on the sides of the sanctuary for confidential prayer, and prayer requests can be emailed to prayfirst@gvbc.net.
The Upper Room meets Wednesdays at 7 PM in Room 218 for a worship-based prayer experience. Discovery Bible Study gathers Sundays at 11 AM in Room 216. Pray First Intercessors and Sunday morning intercessors round out the prayer ministry.
The College and Young Adult Ministry meets Sundays from 12:45 to 2:00 PM in Room 201, with a larger Young Adult Gathering on the second Sunday of each month from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Primetimers Ministry plans trips and fellowship for seniors and their families.
Family Life, Meals, and Parents
Marriage and Family Ministry equips couples and parents through Anchored Moms, Legacy Dads, Re|Engage, Parent Workshops, and a quarterly Grandparents Breakfast. Parent Workshops are held on Friday evenings with dinner and childcare provided. Meal Train Ministry organizes three weeks of meals for congregants who welcome a baby, come home from the hospital, or lose a family member, with three meals a week for the duration. Hearts for Widows Ministry gathers widows for support, fellowship, and faith-filled encouragement.
The Fun with Friends and Family Ministry (FFF) plans outings that span the generations, from baseball games and Hollywood Bowl concerts to game nights, White Elephant Bingo, pickleball open play, New Year's Eve celebrations, and an annual talent show.
Local and Global Missions
GVBC takes its mission both next door and across the world. The Local Missions Ministry, led by Associate Pastor James Chang, organizes volunteers for Keep Gardena Beautiful, the Friday Night Food Ministry, school outreach, and city events. Outreach opportunities are posted several times a year, including in October and December.
Globally, the church partners with missionaries in Thailand, Brazil, and Japan. In Thailand, GVBC teams have helped International Ministries (American Baptist) complete more than three hundred water projects for hill-tribe villages through the International Theological Development Foundation since 2015. In Brazil, Hope Unlimited has run residential and vocational programs for children living on the streets since 1991. In Rifu, Japan, Oasis Chapel, founded in 1932, continues to develop leaders and assist communities in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Every year GVBC sends short-term mission teams to these three locations. A Global Missions Committee chaired by Ken Kawahara oversees the work, with Kate Bun serving as Short-Term Missions Director. A church-wide Bible Reading Plan walks the congregation through the Pentateuch together each year, and the monthly Spirit Newsletter highlights ministries, events, and testimonies from across the body.
Worship, Hula, and the Sounds of Sunday
Worship Ministry shapes what happens each Sunday morning. Ushers, baptism and communion helpers, audio-visual operators, and the worship team (instrumentalists and vocalists using ProPresenter and a sound system) all serve together. The music ministry extends well beyond Sunday. The Hula Ministry, Akua Ohana O'Hula, welcomes anyone who wants to praise God through dance in a relaxed, Hawaiian-style atmosphere with no experience necessary. The Ukulele Ministry invites musicians of any level to play at church events and at other venues as opportunities arise.
Hospitality Ministry runs the Greeters and Welcome Center, the Coffee Nook, and special-event set-up and clean-up throughout the year. Property Ministry cares for the campus through monthly Work Days on the first Saturday of each month from 8 AM to noon, with subcommittees handling technology, maintenance, and guest relations. The church's gym, added in the 2007 renovation, hosts pickleball, basketball, and volleyball through the Sports Ministry. A Hula Ministry practice and ukulele group rehearsals also meet at the church during the week.
What GVBC Believes
GVBC's mission is to help people discover Jesus and become his fully devoted followers. The church holds to classic evangelical Christian teachings. God is one God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for the sins of all people, rose again on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer from the moment of salvation, gives each Christian a spiritual gift, and guides them into truth. The Bible is God's Word, written under the Spirit's guidance and without error. Human beings are made in God's image but are separated from him by sin. Salvation is God's free gift, received by faith in Jesus Christ, and eternal life begins the moment a person receives Christ. Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
Getting Connected
Visitors who want to learn more can fill out a Connection Form on the church's main page. A Connect Class is held periodically for those wanting to explore membership. Community Groups sign-ups are open several times a year. The monthly Spirit Newsletter, the church-wide Bible Reading Plan through the Pentateuch, the calendar of upcoming events, and short-term mission trip applications for Japan, Thailand, and Brazil are all available online. A full Japanese-language section of the site (gvbc.net/jp) carries worship information, news, online giving, and a Japanese pastoral letter from Nihongo Pastor Eiji Osato.
The church sits at 1630 W. 158th Street in Gardena, with the office open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, and worship held every Sunday morning and evening in both English and Japanese.