A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto on Japan’s Kyushu Island on July 28, 2026, leaving 38 people dead and damaging more than 13,000 homes as of August 4. Local Seventh-day Adventist churches and members have also experienced varying degrees of damage.

However, the impact on the local church and its members appears to be relatively minor compared with the damage caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.

According to Ryu JongHyun, Sabbath School and Personal Ministries director of the Japan Union Conference, one family from Kumamoto Adventist Church sustained damage to part of their tiled roof and temporarily covered the damaged area with a waterproof sheet. Another church member left home and is staying at an evacuation shelter designated by the local government. Both families are reportedly safe and in good health.

“After speaking with Pastor Shimomura, pastor of Kumamoto Adventist Church, we learned that the damage to the church and its members is not as severe as it was during the 2016 earthquakes,” JongHyun said. “All affected church members are currently safe.”

Through JongHyun, Shimomura expressed his gratitude, saying, “We deeply appreciate your remembering the church in Japan and showing concern for us. Please continue to pray for the Kumamoto region and our church members.”

The Kumamoto area currently has one organized church and two home-based Bible study groups. Approximately 80 members are listed on the church membership records.

Meanwhile, about 7,600 residents from the affected areas are staying in evacuation shelters, while approximately 44,000 households remain without running water. Temperatures in some areas have also approached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), raising concerns about secondary health risks, including heatstroke.

The original article was published on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division news site.