REVEREND RICHARD KUYAMA

Reverend Richard Kuyama’s personal faith statement guides his ministry at Centenary. He believes that our God, who created us and put us here, is the God who will gather us together, share our pain, and in Him, we find hope. Since our Lord Jesus Christ showed us how to care and to love each other, Rev. Richard would like to model Jesus’ love by ministering in the inner city core and to the greater Japanese speaking community.

He guides the church in the social justice ministry of the Centenary Sushi Chef School that, most recently, formed a vocational collaboration with Father Boyle’s Home Boys Industry. He leads the Japanese Language Congregation in providing Girls & Boys Town resources for Social Workers from Japan, and sponsoring Gospel Music and Pipe Organ seminars for Japanese music groups. He takes great pleasure in the spiritual growth of the many people attending his five regional Bible Study groups.

In the greater community and in church organizations, he serves on the Conference Board of Global Ministries, on the L.A. District Lay Speaking Committee, and serves as Chair on the Southern California United Methodist Japanese Language Caucus. He is a board member of Little Tokyo Towers which serves the elderly of the area and is a member of the L.A.P.D. Asian Pacific Islander Forum.

Educated in Japan, Rev. Richard attended Aoyama Gakuin University and Tokyo Union Theological Seminary. He then attended San Francisco Theological Seminary where he earned his Doctorate.

His assignments before coming to Centenary were varied. First working at Chitose Funabashi Church in Tokyo, he was later assigned to Berkeley MUC, Lake Park UMC in Oakland, and West L.A. UMC.

Church activities keep him busy but he finds time to travel, listen to music (classic and jazz), watch movies and enjoy the companionship of his wife Keiko and his two daughters. Two dogs round out his family, Cookie, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and Madeline, a certified pet therapy dog, who accompanies him to Keiro Nursing Home to visit with patients and friends.