Greetings
By Rev. Kodo Umezu, Bishop
This is my first salutation to you as the Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America. In the last six years, I have had the privilege to serve as the Director of the Center for Buddhist Education (CBE). During my tenure, I was able to witness very positive developments within the BCA and also in the greater community here in the U.S. I truly enjoyed working with my staff members, volunteers and the CBE Governing Board, creating programs together and interacting with all participants, young and old.
I assure you that the Center for Buddhist Education and the Office of the Bishop will continue to work together to have more programs, not only in Berkeley, but at your temples and districts as well. To do this, I have asked Rev. Marvin Harada of the Orange Country Buddhist Church to join our team as the Executive Assistant to the Bishop in charge of helping temples and churches to start new educational programs. He will also be in charge of programs for ministers and minister’s assistants. Though he will continue to reside in Orange County and serve as the resident minister there, Rev. Harada will spend one third of his time helping to move Buddhist education in new directions of growth.
The other person whom I have invited to join our team is Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara. I have asked him to be in charge of programs at the Jodo Shinshu Center. He will be working together with many program committees (such as Baby Boomers, Generation Y, and others). You will see both Rev. Harada and Rev. Kuwahara working closely with my office as co-directors of the CBE.
I think the key for success is to work together as a team. We need to communicate closely, share a vision and create a trusting relationship. I know there are some challenges in front of us, but let us humble ourselves and listen to the Primal Vow. By doing so, we will become a true sangha and we will be able to invite new people to our temples and churches.
To close my message, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Socho Koshin Ogui and all the ministers and leaders of our organization for their dedication and sacrifice. I would also like to thank all the past and present members for their vision and support to keep the Buddhist Churches of America thriving. It is a great honor to serve you as your Bishop. I humbly ask for your support, cooperation and understanding.
Gassho
