The fourth Executive Council meeting of the present (41st) biennial general assembly period was held July 8-9, 2019, at the Kyodan headquarters. All members of the Executive Council were present, and Vice-moderator Kuze Sorachi led the opening worship service. General Secretary Akiyama Toru reported that one of the Kyodan’s four executive officers had participated in each of the 17 district assembly meetings.
Noda Taku, a pastor heading up the Student Christian Fellowship and serving on the support committee for the Youth Platform, gave a presentation and appeal concerning that venture. The purpose of this “Youth Platform” is to provide a place within the Kyodan structure for youth to get to know each other and share information. Specifically, this includes operating a website for the Youth Platform, planning and operating various events, as well as arranging exchanges and cooperation with the various Kyodan-related schools and other organizations. One response to this by the council emphasized the importance of carefully guarding the personal information of participants.
Uda Makoto, chair of the Commission on Finance, presented the second revision of the budget and financial report on the 2018 fiscal year and explained the Kyodan’s financial situation. Following the report on the Buraku Liberation Center’s financial accounts by BLC Steering Committee Chair Saito Seiji, Kyodan Secretary Kumoshikari Toshimi pointed out that the amount transferred from the Kyodan to the BLC account differed from the amount recorded in the BLC account, although they should be identical. Also addressed was the large sum of over 26 million yen being carried over in the BLC operating budget. Action on this issue, along with the discussion on the related budget proposal was tabled until the next meeting. Next, Yamakita Nobuhisa, chair of the Kyodan Board of Publications’ Board of Directors, announced that Shindo Atsushi, current head of the Board of Publications, will be submitting his resignation and that Ii Hikari will become acting head for the remainder of Shindo’s term of office.
On the second day, the time was divided between discussion of the report on the Task Force for Evangelism in the Kyodan and the agenda item on the Promotion of Evangelism in the Kyodan. Both were accepted and approved by majority vote. In his report on the Task Force for Evangelism in the Kyodan, Vice-moderator Kuze Sorachi noted that a proposal to reduce the number of delegates to the Kyodan General Assembly from 400 to 200 was being considered. Likewise, in the report on the Promotion of Evangelism in the Kyodan, Kishi Toshihiko, chair of the Subcommittee on the Implementation of Basic Policies for the Promotion of Evangelism, proposed the designation of the third Sunday of every month, beginning in October 2019, as a “Day of Prayer for the Promotion of Evangelism in Japan” as well as the establishment of a fund to be called the “National Evangelism Promotion Fund.” (Tr. TB)
—Kato Makoto, executive secretary
第41総会期第4回常議員会報告
2019年7月8日、9日の両日、教団会議室において第41総会期第4回常議員会が開催された。常議員全員が出席、開会礼拝は久世そらち副議長が担当した。秋山徹総幹事は17教区への教団4役・総幹事の問安について報告した。続いて総幹事室に設置された青年プラットフォームについて学生キリスト教友愛会の主事であり青年プラットフォーム世話人会の1人である野田沢牧師から説明とアピールがなされた。活動の目的としては、教団内の青年たちが出会って互いに知り合い情報を共有する仕組みを教団総幹事室に設置することである。具体的な内容は、①教団青年プラットフォームWebsiteの構築と運営 ②関連するイベントの企画運営③関係団体・学校との協力と交流、情報の共有、などである。
議場からは個人情報の取り扱いについて慎重さが求められた。財務関連は、まず2018年度教団歳入歳出第2次補正予算と決算が取り扱われ、宇田真予算決算委員長が説明を行った。部落解放センターの決算報告では斉藤成二センター長による説明の後に雲然俊美書記が、本来同額であるべき教団の解放センター繰出し金と、センター側の教団繰入金の額に違いのあること、更に運営資金に2600万円超の多額の繰越金があることが指摘された。今回の採決は見送ることになり、付随して予算案の審議も見送った。出版局からは山北宣久出版局理事長が新藤敦局長の辞意を報告し、残任期間を飯光(Ii Hikari)氏が局長代行として務めることを報告した。二日目は「教団伝道対策検討委員会報告」と「教団伝道推進に関する件」の審議に時間を割き賛成多数で承認・可決した。「教団伝道対策検討委員会報告」の中で久世そらち副議長より教団総会議員を400名から200名に減らす方向で検討されている報告があった。「教団伝道推進に関する件」では伝道推進基本方針展開検討小委員会の岸俊彦委員長が、「日本伝道推進を祈る日」（毎月第3主日）を2019年10月から実施すること。「全国伝道推進献金」を行うことを提案した。（加藤誠）
