明けましておめでとうございます。
去年色々お世話になり、今年もどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
Akemashite omedetoh gozaimasu.
Kyonen, iriro osewani nari; kotoshi mo douzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Happy New Year!
I wanted to start this article with traditional Japanese New Year’s greetings — My congratulations on the opening of this new year, offering my deepest appreciation for all the support that was received last year while looking forward in this new year with deepest gratitude and appreciation for continuing support.
The BCA theme for 2025 is “Gratitude for Our Past and a Vision for Our Future.” It is so apt at this point in the 125-year history of the Buddhist Churches of America and captures the fundamental aspect of our Shin Buddhist practice of “Living a Life of Gratitude.”
For this article, I am repurposing my 2025 greeting that was published in the 2025 BCA Calendar. If you haven’t received your calendar at your local temple or church, and if it’s not available, please let BCA know. This year’s calendar celebrates each of the BCA temples and sanghas with pictures that capture the vibrancy of our national organization. I quote from my calendar message:
“Let us welcome 2025 with gratitude for the life we live as Shin Buddhists. We share the unique teachings of Shinran Shonin and the infinite wisdom and compassion of Amida Buddha. What more might we cherish?”
The year 2025 culminates the 125th year of the Buddhist Churches of America. As we look to the past, we are grateful for all the causes and conditions that have allowed the BCA to have persevered despite the challenges and hurdles that were forced upon our BCA leaders. We are deeply indebted to those ministers and lay leaders whose conviction and dedication to the Dharma have been the source of strength for our Shin Buddhist tradition. Through their efforts, tens of thousands of Jodo Shinshu followers and many beyond our sanghas have heard the Nembutsu teachings and have found comfort in the sustaining power of Amida Buddha’s wisdom and compassion.
The year 2025 is also the year in which we look forward to the future of the BCA and Shin Buddhism in the United States and throughout the Western world. We sit at the unique nexus where Shin Buddhist values and principles offer America an option to the divisive and hateful rhetoric heightened in the 2024 election cycle. Our Jodo Shinshu tradition offers an alternative: an inclusive and compassionate approach to discourse bringing equanimity and understanding to a community that embraces everyone.
In 2025, let us look to our future where Shin Buddhism is a flourishing Buddhist tradition in the United States, sharing the Nembutsu teachings through an engaging ministry where inclusive communities cultivate peace, understanding and compassion for everyone.
Current Initiatives to Start 2025
As I look forward to 2025, I will continue to bring forth issues and initiatives for BCA leadership to discuss and implement. As reported in the December National Board Meeting, I have five current initiatives moving forward in 2025:
Implementing a Policy Governance approach that places responsibility and authority for operations of the BCA to BCA staff under the leadership of Executive Director Gayle Noguchi. The Executive Limitations portion of that Policy Governance approach continues as a work-in-progress.
Updating the 2006 BCA Strategic Plan with an updated Mission and Vision Statement. The update is to be a living document that will be adjusted based on future conditions; developed with specific goals and timeframes for accomplishing these goals to support the strategic initiatives defined in the proposed update framework. The National Board approved the strategic plan update framework at its Dec. 7 meeting. That framework will be presented at the 2025 National Council Meeting for ratification.
The Zaidan Fund offers new opportunities to return to its historical roots while providing future ongoing funds to support the growth of Shin Buddhism in America. Over the past nine years, the fund’s corpus has grown to over $1 million. It is now time to put in place an updated policy governing how the fund is to continue to grow while determining monies that are available to support the growth of Shin Buddhism in America. A resolution passed at the December National Board meeting with this updated policy. It now awaits ratification at the upcoming National Council Meeting.
Defining Membership in the BCA. As introduced in the October edition of the Wheel of Dharma, the definition of a “member” of the BCA is critical to how we address “declining” membership. Is “declining” an accurate statement or is it in how our temples and churches define a “paid” member. The conversation is just beginning. It will require a broad consensus of what it means to be part of a “Sangha.” Inherent in this effort of defining a “member” is the distinction between being part of a “Sangha” and the census number reported by temples to the BCA. This effort complements the initiative by the Bishop in his report in which discusses effective websites, Buddhist education programs, marketing our BCA and local temples better, and initiating meditation or other new programs are all ways to begin to grow our temples. The main point is for each of our local churches and temples to begin to initiate something that might add to the growth of their membership.
Making a commitment to complete the Dharma Forward campaign by successfully achieving the target of $15 million by the end of 2025. In addition, discussions are occurring that address an ongoing fundraising program to meet BCA future needs that come out of the BCA Strategic Plan Update.
Each of these initiatives offer new opportunities and new ways to think about BCA’s future.
IMOP Reflections
This past fall, I was honored to participate as a lecturer in the International Ministers Orientation Program (IMOP).
The three IMOP ministers were Rev. Kensho Hashimoto from Chigasaki City, Kanagawa-ken; Rev. Yuki Himeji also from Chigasaki City, originally from Akita-ken; and Rev. Keiya Yasutake from Kitakyshu, Fukuoka-ken.
Rev. Yasutake is working on his doctorate at Ryukoku University. Both Rev. Hashimoto and Rev. Himeji have generational connections to Kaikyoshi ministers both for the BCA (Salinas) and for the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.
Seeing their youthful interest and energy in continuing their family tradition of overseas ministry work was inspiring. I only hope that I was able to provide them with a few nuggets of wisdom as I spoke on “Working with an American Sangha.” To each of them, ご苦労様でした
“gokurosamadeshita” for all their hard work and study that went into the program.
Although Rev. Hashimoto is already a Kaikyoshi-ho for the Toronto Buddhist Church, I hope the others will consider an assignment with the BCA to work with our BCA ministers in the not too distant future to spread the Dharma and help build our American sanghas. また、会いましょう ”mata, aimashou!” Let’s meet again.
Gratitude for our Past and a Vision for our Future
Finally, thank you to all the readers of the Wheel of Dharma for your interest in this column. I hope I can keep you as avid readers so that each month you will quickly turn to Page 3 to see what new compelling discussion I have brought forth. It is gratifying to hear from each and every one of you when asked if you’ve read the most recent Wheel of Dharma and the answer is a resounding “yes!”
As we start the new year, let us remind ourselves of our 2025 BCA theme, “Gratitude for Our Past and a Vision for Our Future.” Let us live everyday with gratitude for all that has allowed us to be here today; and with hope and aspiration for a future where Shin Buddhism is interwoven into the spiritual life of America, ensuring that the Nembutsu teachings are to be heard for generations to come.
Namo Amida Butsu
Happy New Year! In this holiday, you can play geometry dash lite with your family.
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