The organisation grew out of the early Hebrew Christian Movement.
After World War II, many Messianic Jews decided to continue to identify as Jewish.
The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA) was founded in 1915.
In 1979, nineteen congregations broke away and formed the UMJC in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
The UMJC is seen as emphasizing Jewish tradition, stressing the duty of MJs to keep Jewish traditions, such as circumcision and keeping kosher, as they are a part of God’s special calling for Jews.