We hope to serve your organization’s needs with the use of our facility at Berkeley Methodist United Church. We are a non-profit institution serving the spiritual needs of our community, and we are glad to make space in the church available to you.
Reserve a date
Email our Trustees to check availability or ask a question. It helps if you can tell us:
- Your organization and its non-profit status
- (Individuals not under an organization do not require non-profit status)
- The date, start time, and end time you have in mind
- Roughly how many people you expect
- Which rooms or services you’re requesting
Our spaces
Capacities are our own estimates, calculated with a fire-code calculator, and are offered as a planning guide rather than a legal occupancy limit. Standing means open assembly, seated means chairs only, and at tables means tables and chairs together.
Social Hall
$125/hour
- Size
- 2,266 sq ft
- Capacity
- 454 standing · 324 seated · 152 at tables · 76 for exhibits
Our largest room. A good fit for parties, exhibitions, and large gatherings. Retractable projection screen available. Square footage excludes closets, bathrooms, the fire escape, and the storage area.
Sanctuary
$100/hour
- Size
- 1,400 sq ft
- Capacity
- 224 seated
Our main worship space, suited for large gatherings and seminars. Two projection screens available (requires audiovisual service). Excludes the Choir Director’s office and the Choir Room.
Issei Chapel
$50/hour
- Size
- 550 sq ft
- Capacity
- 110 standing · 79 seated · 37 at tables
Our church’s main chapel in the mid-1900s; features our Issei Garden through the panoramic windows. Great for use as a meeting room. Includes a TV with HDMI input. Square footage excludes the storage areas behind the screen.
Kato Hall
$45/hour
- Size
- 500 sq ft
- Capacity
- 100 standing · 72 seated · 34 at tables
Our church’s main chapel in the early 1900s, named for Rev. Suzunosuke Kato. Great for smaller meetings.
Social Hall Annex
$40/hour
- Size
- 530 sq ft
- Capacity
- 106 standing · 76 seated · 36 at tables
Need a space larger than a meeting room, but smaller than our Social Hall? Our Social Hall Annex is perfect for you! Excludes the fourth annex subdivision, which we use for storage.
Piano Room
$50/hour
- Size
- 330 sq ft
- Capacity
- 22
This room has two pianos. Great for practice! This room is frequently reserved for the Berkeley Academy of Music. Please check our calendar for availability.
Youth Room
$30/hour
- Size
- 200 sq ft
- Capacity
- 14
A small, secluded meeting room in the back of our church. Great for casual meetings.
Kitchen
$50 flat, staging only
$100/hour, full use
- Size
- 400 sq ft
Staging covers storing food and light prep with no cooking, and is available as part of another rental.
Full use gives you the appliances and our pots, pans, and cooking implements. We ask that you supply your own dishes and utensils.
Nursery
$30/hour
- Size
- 200 sq ft
- Capacity
- 4
Give the young ones their own space, away from the action! Available as part of another rental. You’ll need to provide your own staff; BMUC cannot staff the nursery for events.
Event Schedule
Check if your desired date is available
This section may not display properly on mobile. Click here to open the calendar directly.
Renting the whole church
| Rental | Hours | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Half day | 4 hours | $1,200 |
| Full day | 8 hours | $2,000 |
| Week | Monday–Friday, 40 hours | $4,750 |
Weekly rentals do not include Sundays. Standing capacity across the building is roughly 1,034 people, or 759 seated and 393 at tables.
Please note that weekly rentals require a non-refundable $500 cleaning fee to compensate our cleaning staff.
Services
A host is required for most rentals.
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| Host, to let you into the building | $30/hour |
| Event setup and takedown, including chairs and tables | $25/hour |
| Audiovisual, live mixing/projections | $75/hour |
| Audiovisual, setup only (microphones/projector) | $50 flat |
Good to know
Getting here and getting in
We are at 1710 Carleton Street in Berkeley. There is a wheelchair ramp at the front entrance. The building is a single floor, and our restrooms are not ADA accessible. We have about 25 parking spaces on site (two accessible spaces), with street parking in front of the building. Wi-fi is available throughout the church.
What we ask of you
People using our facilities are responsible for cleaning and resetting the rooms they use. We will arrange entry and exit with your coordinator and provide a checklist covering our requirements. Among them is our pledge to environmental sustainability, which means single-use plastics are not allowed at our facility.
Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited on the property. Use of either will end the rental and result in a ban from future use of the facility.
We also do not allow goods or services to be sold on the property; this qualifies as for-profit use.
Booking and deposits
A security deposit is required for all rentals. We can usually confirm a date within two to three days.
Using our space on an ongoing basis
Ongoing use requires a committee approval process that takes additional time, so please factor that in. Organizations using our facility regularly should also understand that BMUC reserves the right to use the church for special events. We will work with you as far in advance as possible to make alternate accommodations. Such events include, but are not limited to, our annual Bazaar in June, our annual Choir Blast in the fall, Christmas Eve, Easter, funerals, and weddings.
Rates revised April 28, 2026.
