☰
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church
Seattle
WA
98144
- United Methodist Churches in Seattle, WA
- United Methodist Churches in Washington
- United Methodist Churches in United States
- United Methodist Churches near me
- All churches in Seattle, WA
Who we are
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church is a vibrant and growing faith community located in the multicultural Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle. All are welcome in our multi-ethnic, multigenerational faith community.
Our calling and mission is the Great Commandment: to Love God and Love our Neighbors. We practice these spiritual disciplines by living into our church creed:
Go forth in faith
Be Strong in Hope
Serve with Love
Come and learn more about us!
Our calling and mission is the Great Commandment: to Love God and Love our Neighbors. We practice these spiritual disciplines by living into our church creed:
Go forth in faith
Be Strong in Hope
Serve with Love
Come and learn more about us!
Location of worship / Church Address
3001 24th Avenue S
Seattle,
WA
98144
United States
Phone: (206) 723-1536
Download Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church vCard with Service Times
Church Pastor
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Senior Pastor
3001 24th Avenue S
Seattle,
WA
98144
United States
Phone: (206) 723-1536
Download Senior Pastor Rev. Karen Yokota Love vCard with Bio
Quote of the Day
Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Denomination
United Methodist Church
United Methodist Churches in Seattle, Washington, United States
United Methodist Churches in Washington, United States
United Methodist Churches in United States
All churches in Seattle, WA
Affiliations:
Website:
Social Media
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Seattle on YouTube
Leadership
Leader Name:
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Leader Position:
Senior Pastor
Formal Title:
Leader Address:
Tel:
Fax:
Leader Email:
Leader Bio:
Karen Yokota Love (she/her/hers) currently serves at the senior pastor at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church in Seattle, WA. Prior to being appointed to Blaine Memorial, Rev. Karen served congregations in Milton, Puyallup, and Tacoma. She is a Yonsei, or fourth generation American of Japanese descent.
Rev. Karen has spent her life collecting stories about her ancestors’€™ experiences during their detention to help bring to light justice and healing. She also enjoys educating people about this nugget of history and how we use the past to work towards a better future. Rev. Karen currently serves as the president of the National Japanese American United Methodist Caucus.
She holds a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California. When not at church, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband, Jesse, getting her hands dirty with any sort of DIY project, reading, taking long walks, and attending a good yoga class.
Rev. Karen has spent her life collecting stories about her ancestors’€™ experiences during their detention to help bring to light justice and healing. She also enjoys educating people about this nugget of history and how we use the past to work towards a better future. Rev. Karen currently serves as the president of the National Japanese American United Methodist Caucus.
She holds a B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California. When not at church, Karen enjoys spending time with her husband, Jesse, getting her hands dirty with any sort of DIY project, reading, taking long walks, and attending a good yoga class.
Other Church Leaders:
Rev. Karen Yokota Love on Social Media:
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Leadership Photos
Administration
Admin Name:
Yuki Sofronas
Admin Position:
Office Assistant
Admin Address:
Telephone:
Fax:
Admin Email:
Mailing Address
Driving Directions to Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church
Travel/Directions Tips
From North Seattle:
Take I-5 Southbound towards Seattle. Take South Columbian Way, Exit 163A, towards South Columbian Way. Turn left on South Spokane Street. Continue through 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South (Jefferson Park Golf Course on right). Turn left on 23rd Avenue South (3 way stop). At next stoplight, turn right on South Hanford Street (Kimball Elementary School on right). Turn left on 24th Avenue South and follow road into our parking lot.
From South Seattle:
Take I-5 northbound towards Seattle. Take Columbian Way South, Exit 163 towards South Columbian Way. Turn left on South Spokane Street. Continue through 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South (Jefferson Park Golf Course on right). Turn left on 23rd Avenue South (3 way stop). At next stoplight, turn right on South Hanford Street (Kimball Elementary School on right). Turn left on 24th Avenue South and follow road into our parking lot.
From the Eastside:
Take I-90 westbound towards Seattle. Take Rainier Avenue South, Exit #3A. Go South on Rainier Avenue South and veer right onto 23rd Avenue South. Turn left on South Hanford Street (Kimball Elementary School on SE corner). Turn left on 24th Avenue South and follow road into our parking lot.
Winter Driving Directions
(Please check local road conditions. If uncomfortable driving to church, please stay safe and stay home. We will see you next week!)
From North Seattle:
Take I-5 Southbound towards Seattle. Take South Columbian Way, Exit 163A, towards South Columbian Way. Stay on Columbian Way. Turn left on Beacon Ave. Continue on Beacon Ave to Spokane St. Turn right on Spokane St (at Jefferson Golf Course). Take a left on 24th AVE S. Take a right on S Hanford and a quick left onto 24th AVE S into our parking lot.
From South Seattle:
Take I-5 northbound towards Seattle. Take Columbian Way South, Exit 163 towards South Columbian Way. Stay on Columbian Way for a few miles. Turn left on Beacon Ave. Continue on Beacon Ave to Spokane S. Turn right on Spokane St (at Jefferson Golf Course). Take a left on 24th AVE S. Take a right on S Hanford and a quick left onto 24th AVE S into our parking lot.
From the Eastside:
Take I-90 westbound towards Seattle. Take Rainier Avenue South, Exit #3A. Go South on Rainier Avenue South and veer right onto 23rd Avenue South. Turn left on Spokane St.Turn left on 24th AVE S. Turn right on S Hanford and a quick left onto 24th AVE S into our parking lot.
Take I-5 Southbound towards Seattle. Take South Columbian Way, Exit 163A, towards South Columbian Way. Turn left on South Spokane Street. Continue through 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South (Jefferson Park Golf Course on right). Turn left on 23rd Avenue South (3 way stop). At next stoplight, turn right on South Hanford Street (Kimball Elementary School on right). Turn left on 24th Avenue South and follow road into our parking lot.
From South Seattle:
Take I-5 northbound towards Seattle. Take Columbian Way South, Exit 163 towards South Columbian Way. Turn left on South Spokane Street. Continue through 15th Avenue South and Beacon Avenue South (Jefferson Park Golf Course on right). Turn left on 23rd Avenue South (3 way stop). At next stoplight, turn right on South Hanford Street (Kimball Elementary School on right). Turn left on 24th Avenue South and follow road into our parking lot.
From the Eastside:
Take I-90 westbound towards Seattle. Take Rainier Avenue South, Exit #3A. Go South on Rainier Avenue South and veer right onto 23rd Avenue South. Turn left on South Hanford Street (Kimball Elementary School on SE corner). Turn left on 24th Avenue South and follow road into our parking lot.
Winter Driving Directions
(Please check local road conditions. If uncomfortable driving to church, please stay safe and stay home. We will see you next week!)
From North Seattle:
Take I-5 Southbound towards Seattle. Take South Columbian Way, Exit 163A, towards South Columbian Way. Stay on Columbian Way. Turn left on Beacon Ave. Continue on Beacon Ave to Spokane St. Turn right on Spokane St (at Jefferson Golf Course). Take a left on 24th AVE S. Take a right on S Hanford and a quick left onto 24th AVE S into our parking lot.
From South Seattle:
Take I-5 northbound towards Seattle. Take Columbian Way South, Exit 163 towards South Columbian Way. Stay on Columbian Way for a few miles. Turn left on Beacon Ave. Continue on Beacon Ave to Spokane S. Turn right on Spokane St (at Jefferson Golf Course). Take a left on 24th AVE S. Take a right on S Hanford and a quick left onto 24th AVE S into our parking lot.
From the Eastside:
Take I-90 westbound towards Seattle. Take Rainier Avenue South, Exit #3A. Go South on Rainier Avenue South and veer right onto 23rd Avenue South. Turn left on Spokane St.Turn left on 24th AVE S. Turn right on S Hanford and a quick left onto 24th AVE S into our parking lot.
Parking
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Seattle Service Times
Sunday 11:00am Hybrid Worship
Service Times last updated on the 1st of March, 2024
Service Times last updated on the 1st of March, 2024
Worship Languages
Dress code:
Children and Youth Activities
Under 12s:
Under 18s:
Local outreach & community activities:
Food Bank Garden
A food bank garden was constructed in April 2010 in the old nursery play yard at church to raise food and provide locally for the poor and needy. The youth and young adults assisted in building the raised beds and planting vegetable seeds and plants. Various church members donated plants and maintained the garden throughout the summer. Healthy produce (including sugar peas, beets, onions, cabbage, carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash) is harvested all summer and delivered to local food banks or neighbors in need.
Blaine members are encouraged to bring extra harvested produce from their own gardens to church for distribution. We thank God for the blessings he has given us this year in support of this project.
If interested in helping with the Food Garden, please contact Pam Yorozu at pjyorozu@aol.com
A food bank garden was constructed in April 2010 in the old nursery play yard at church to raise food and provide locally for the poor and needy. The youth and young adults assisted in building the raised beds and planting vegetable seeds and plants. Various church members donated plants and maintained the garden throughout the summer. Healthy produce (including sugar peas, beets, onions, cabbage, carrots, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash) is harvested all summer and delivered to local food banks or neighbors in need.
Blaine members are encouraged to bring extra harvested produce from their own gardens to church for distribution. We thank God for the blessings he has given us this year in support of this project.
If interested in helping with the Food Garden, please contact Pam Yorozu at pjyorozu@aol.com
Other activities & ministries
Special Needs/Accessibility:
Prayers and hymns:
Main Bible:
Hymns and Songs:
Other information:
Average Adult Congregation:
Average Youth Congregation:
Additional Info:
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Photo Gallery
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church History
The story of Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church began over 118 years ago with the formation of the Seattle Japanese Methodist Episcopal Church in 1904. The first motto of the fledgling congregation were the words from Mark 12:30-31, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like it, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. Over time, the church outgrew its initial buildings until the congregation built their first permanent sanctuary on Washington Street in 1912. The church served as a social focal point for Japanese immigrants as it continued to grow, facilitating English language classes, connecting members to jobs, and finding housing for new immigrants. It also served as a spiritual and social buffer to the virulent anti-Japanese movements that began to gather momentum along the West Coast prior to World War II.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, despite substantial government evidence that the Nikkei (persons of Japanese heritage) community did not pose an espionage threat, momentum toward mass incarceration of Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens developed in Congress and the Executive Branch. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which allowed the Army to exclude any individual from designated military zones, but the order applied primarily to Nikkei. In the midst of this heartbreak and turmoil, hope came in the form of Mr. E. L. Blaine and other members of Seattle First Methodist Church, who agreed to watch over the church building and the affairs of the church until the congregation and its leadership returned.
The congregation requested to be interned together as a group and was initially evacuated to Camp Harmony, the Puyallup Fair Grounds Assembly Center. In August 1942, the internees were moved to primitive barracks at the Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho. Many church members served in the 442nd-100th Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Language Service (MILS) or the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps. These men distinguished themselves at places with names such as Bruyeres, Belmont, Biffontaine, and Mt. Folgorito. They successfully rescued, at great cost, the Lost Battalion of the 36th Texas Division, and will always be remembered for their heroic and successful attack on Hitler Gothic Line, which led to the end of combat in Europe.
After the end of the war, the relocation centers were closed, and church members began to return to the Seattle area and the hostile public attitude toward the returning Nikkei. However in the midst of these struggles, hope existed. True to their word, E. L. Blaine and the trustees from the Seattle First Methodist Church had faithfully watched over the church while the congregation was gone and nothing of the church or the contents stored within were damaged.
In 1956, the church was renamed for Mr. E. L. Blaine, fifty-two years after he had helped form the fledgling Japanese Methodist Episcopal Church. Without his continued assistance in the years since church formation, it is unlikely the congregation would have had a church to come home to. Mr. Blaine passed away in 1954, and in 1956 the congregation voted to honor his lifelong dedication to this church by renaming it Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church. The church moved to its current location on Beacon Hill in Seattle in 1962. Mr. Blaine and Seattle First Methodist gave this congregation a priceless gift of love and a legacy of service to neighbors. It is a debt and an obligation which, while it can never be repaid, can be carried forward forever as an example of Chris’s boundless love and service to others.
Since the 1960s, the congregation has grown and changed. Our church family is like a tree which has grown over the years, and with every passing year, new branches sprout from its sturdy roots. But one thing will never change – our congregation will always be a place where anyone may find peace, learn about our relationship with God, and find a supportive community where one can serve others in love. Because of our unique church history and our witness to injustices of the past, we believe we not only must serve others, but we also have a special duty to both speak out on behalf of and support oppressed communities and individuals, because we have experienced these ourselves. We invite you to visit and experience worship with us!
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, despite substantial government evidence that the Nikkei (persons of Japanese heritage) community did not pose an espionage threat, momentum toward mass incarceration of Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens developed in Congress and the Executive Branch. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which allowed the Army to exclude any individual from designated military zones, but the order applied primarily to Nikkei. In the midst of this heartbreak and turmoil, hope came in the form of Mr. E. L. Blaine and other members of Seattle First Methodist Church, who agreed to watch over the church building and the affairs of the church until the congregation and its leadership returned.
The congregation requested to be interned together as a group and was initially evacuated to Camp Harmony, the Puyallup Fair Grounds Assembly Center. In August 1942, the internees were moved to primitive barracks at the Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho. Many church members served in the 442nd-100th Regimental Combat Team, the Military Intelligence Language Service (MILS) or the US Army Counter Intelligence Corps. These men distinguished themselves at places with names such as Bruyeres, Belmont, Biffontaine, and Mt. Folgorito. They successfully rescued, at great cost, the Lost Battalion of the 36th Texas Division, and will always be remembered for their heroic and successful attack on Hitler Gothic Line, which led to the end of combat in Europe.
After the end of the war, the relocation centers were closed, and church members began to return to the Seattle area and the hostile public attitude toward the returning Nikkei. However in the midst of these struggles, hope existed. True to their word, E. L. Blaine and the trustees from the Seattle First Methodist Church had faithfully watched over the church while the congregation was gone and nothing of the church or the contents stored within were damaged.
In 1956, the church was renamed for Mr. E. L. Blaine, fifty-two years after he had helped form the fledgling Japanese Methodist Episcopal Church. Without his continued assistance in the years since church formation, it is unlikely the congregation would have had a church to come home to. Mr. Blaine passed away in 1954, and in 1956 the congregation voted to honor his lifelong dedication to this church by renaming it Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church. The church moved to its current location on Beacon Hill in Seattle in 1962. Mr. Blaine and Seattle First Methodist gave this congregation a priceless gift of love and a legacy of service to neighbors. It is a debt and an obligation which, while it can never be repaid, can be carried forward forever as an example of Chris’s boundless love and service to others.
Since the 1960s, the congregation has grown and changed. Our church family is like a tree which has grown over the years, and with every passing year, new branches sprout from its sturdy roots. But one thing will never change – our congregation will always be a place where anyone may find peace, learn about our relationship with God, and find a supportive community where one can serve others in love. Because of our unique church history and our witness to injustices of the past, we believe we not only must serve others, but we also have a special duty to both speak out on behalf of and support oppressed communities and individuals, because we have experienced these ourselves. We invite you to visit and experience worship with us!
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Historical Photos
Page administrator:
Contact Email: