The Ministry Council was held in Matsushiro in June. Reverend Osamu Irie (Chairperson of the Diocese of Yokohama Standing Committee, Bishop elected-to-be) and Reverend Ken Katayama (General Secretary of the Diocese of Yokohama) from the Diocese of Yokohama participated in the meeting.
As I have mentioned about it in this column previously, the Diocese of Chubu was founded after separating from the Diocese of Yokohama. However, I feel as though there has been a slight lack of relationship between the two. We have had two joint Minister’s Meetings with the Diocese of Yokohama since I have become a minister. The first was during the years of Bishop Jyuji Uematsu and Bishop Katsuhiko Iwai, and the meeting was held in June 1981 in Karuizawa. The second was in November 2007 at Seisen-Ryo in Kiyosato. This was during the years of Bishop Toshiaki Mori and Bishop Satoru Endo. Having these two clergymen join the Ministry Council, putting aside whether this might or might not lead to an immediate exchange, was a good opportunity. I believe the two being together with the ministers of Chubu, allowed them to get a feeling of the Diocese of Chubu. Myself, as the Bishop in Management, had the opportunity to take part in the Diocese of Yokohama Standing Committee Meeting and the Minister’s Meeting which allowed me to directly experience the atmosphere of Yokohama. I feel it is important to experience directly on site to show understanding in each other.