The 36th Kyodan General Assembly was held at Tokyo Metropolitan Hotel,
Oct. 21-23, 2008.* Soon afterwards, on Dec. 9 and 10, the three newly
elected executive officers and Executive Council members convened the
first council meeting of the 2009-10 biennial period.

As the Executive Council convened on Dec. 8, the three executive
officers and the Executive Council members who had been elected by the
36thGeneral Assembly gave self-introductions; participants shared their
thoughts about the Executive Council; and the Executive Council started
anew. The members of the various committees established by the General
Assembly were named by the Selection Committee for approval by the
Executive Council on Dec. 9. These committees, which are responsible for
church activities during the present Executive Council period until the
37th General Assembly in 2010, will begin their work in January 2009. No
other outstanding resolutions were passed.

Several committees established by the Executive Council during the
previous biennium will continue and begin their work in early 2009,
including the committee that will plan activities for the celebration of
the 150th Year of Protestant Evangelism in Japan. Even before the
formation of the Kyodan, that is, during the former denominational
church period prior to 1941, interaction with many overseas churches was
maintained through their mission work. The Kyodan is particularly
grateful for the long relationship with churches in North America as it
looks forward to celebrating the 150th Year of Protestant Evangelism in
Japan in 2009. In addition to expressing thanks again to these overseas
churches and in anticipation of further deepening those relationships in
the future, the 36th Kyodan General Assembly conducted an Agreement
Ceremony to establish Cooperative Mission Covenants between the Kyodan
and two North American churches, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the
Reformed Church in America. Hopefully, relationships with many other
churches in North America can be established by this kind of mission
agreement. (Tr. RT)

─Katsuyama Ken'ichiro, executive secretary

*For details, see article in the previous KNL issue.