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and a great deal of informal conversation as we all got to know each other.
The vast majority of the people in attendance work with small groups or
in smaller congregations. They are often toiling in isolation. These meetings
provided the opportunity for a sense of the larger church, for support, learning
and sharing of stories. I believe that everyone went away feeling less alone and
more inspired to continue gathering people around the life-changing message
of the New Church.
Many thanks to our Korean hosts for their tremendous hospitality, and
to the Rev. Jon Jin for putting together an impressive set of meetings. May
the Lord bless the important work represented by all attendees, and cause His
Church to grow in these wonderful countries.
News from Japan:
While the focus of this article, by request,
was on the Regional Clergy Meetings, I add
a few notes about the New Church in Japan.
I was privileged to visit Tokyo, together
with Brian and Gretchen Keith, as well as
Jon and Theresa Jin, from April 26-30, 2013.
On Sunday, April 28, Bishop Keith led a
worship service at the Tokyo New Church,
attended by some 30 people. The service
was followed by a luncheon meeting, during
which each participant shared a little of
his or her journey into the New Church.
Fusae and Jiro Kumazawa
A reflection I had as I listened to each one
describe the personal impact of the teachings of the New Church, was that
there is a universal appeal to the message of the New Church which truly does
cross all cultural boundaries.
The next day, Bishop Keith had the honor of ordaining Jiro Kumazawa into
the priesthood of the New Church. Of this ordination, Bishop Keith writes:
“Mr. Kumazawa has been a serious student of the Writings for many years and
is a respected leader of the group there. But at age 73, he may well have been
the oldest person ever inaugurated into the New Church priesthood. He had
been trained through distance education provided by the Bryn Athyn College
Theological School and will now give a new kind of leadership to the New
Church in Japan. He joins Shiro Matsumoto, who was inaugurated last year as
the second General Church priest in Japan.”
The people in Japan are most gracious hosts. We enjoyed their hospitality,
their warmth, and their energy for the further establishment of the New
Church in their country.
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