Nippon Sei Ko Kai (the Anglican Church in Japan) seeks an Episcopal Priest to serve as Rector of All Souls Church, Okinawa, Japan.
We are an English-speaking congregation in the heart of Okinawa and worship with the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, the 1982 Hymnal, and the Revised Common Lectionary. We value cultural sensitivity and a progressive theological perspective.
Read our Parish Profile, Benefits information, and Application Process below.
Additionally, you may download the PDF version by clicking this button:
Profile
We are an English-speaking congregation in the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (the Anglican Church of Japan), Diocese of Okinawa. Our mission is to witness Christ’s presence on Okinawa, particularly as Christ is revealed to American Episcopalians. Centrally located in Chatan, we are a community of Americans (Armed Forces members, civilians, and ex-patriates), Japanese, and Okinawans. Services are in English with Japanese translation provided.
All Souls Church is an open, affirming, and intergenerational congregation.
Worship
Our principal worship service is on Sunday at 10 a.m. We utilize The Episcopal Church 1979 Book of Common Prayer Rite II Eucharist in Contemporary language. Readings at these services follow the Revised Common Lectionary. We provide Japanese speakers with a written translated text of the liturgy, homily, announcements, and many hymns. We are intergenerational and believe the presence of children is a gift to us all.
As Episcopalians, the Eucharist is the central act of worship, and all baptized persons are welcome to join us in this sacred mystery. We gather in the community to be nourished in Word and Sacrament. The Bible, reason, and tradition inform and shape the Eucharist through which we commune with our Lord and are renewed and invigorated for the mission. Eucharistic ministers, lay readers, and acolytes of all ages are integral to our worship celebrations.
Music
We believe music serves to draw us close to God, opening our hearts and minds to the mystery of the faith. Our organ is the only church pipe organ on the island, playing the role of a public property on Okinawa. Many of our parishioners were first drawn to All Souls because of the organ music. A worship committee meets monthly with the Rector to select the music for the liturgy and plan the services. We have a small yet faithful core group that provides special music through the church choir.
We have periodic guest instrumentalists, particularly at special services; and we recently began an annual Evensong service in honor of all those who died during the Battle of Okinawa, for whom our church was named. We use the collection of hymns, tunes, and service music found in the 1982 Hymnal and others authorized for use in the Episcopal Church by the General Convention.
Faith Formation
For the past couple of years following each Sunday service, we have gathered in the parish hall for fellowship over coffee and refreshments to continue the communion experience that we begin in worship and grow in relationships with one another.
During special times of the year, we have participated in prayers/anointing for healing, washing one another’s feet, Agape meals, Evensong services, candlelight vigils, blessing of the animals, imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday, Stations of the Cross during Lent, and a variety of other rituals to help mark significant moments and aid in the faith formation of God’s people.
Different types of Bible studies and special events have ebbed and flowed throughout the years with varying levels of success, but the parish does have an overall “learning” culture in which parishioners desire to be in communion with one another on a deeper level, wanting to know God, each other, and our callings better.
Language / Culture Exchange
As part of that learning culture, we strive to recognize and celebrate the diversity in our congregation. A Japanese instructor currently provides introductory classes in Shodo (Japanese calligraphy) for interested parishioners, where they recently learned to write their “word of the year” in Kanji.
We have had a “Wednesday Night Supper Club” that helped English and Japanese speakers teach each other our respective languages, customs, and culture. Facilitated by a language teacher proficient in both English and Japanese, we have also participated in outings to see the unique architecture of Nago City Hall and an amusing field trip to an ostrich farm followed by scones and clotted cream at a British tea shop.
Several parishioners are planning a pilgrimage to Nagasaki (the site of one of the two atomic bombings at the end of WWII) in early 2025, led by the Rector; and some have indicated an interest in more study trips and pilgrimages that strengthen faith and cross-cultural awareness.
We understand our mission is not just to the English-speaking members of the diocese, but also to be a cross-cultural bridge for the American and Japanese on Okinawa. Our regular attendees want to grow in their English skills along with their faith development, so we intentionally conduct worship in English, while providing written materials translated into Japanese. We have a part-time translator to do much of this work, and we recently employed a bilingual part-time Operations Manager.
Children
All Souls Church does not have a separate service for children. We strive for “intergenerational worship,” or as a former parishioner once observed, “we call that church.”
Based on the idea that worship should include all ages, the very young and old alike, proponents of intergenerational worship say that having all ages present embodies the truth that the whole church is the Body of Christ—that this unity should be maintained in this way.
We believe that children benefit from seeing adults in worship; that we gather for something greater than ourselves is an important lesson in what it means to be a “grown-up.”
We know that children experience a relationship with God long before they can articulate it and that parents can talk to their children about what they experienced in church together.
We prepare coloring pages for the lesson of the day and have activity boxes that the children can bring to the pews. We also have a reading and play area on the front left side of the sanctuary. For those who want to play and worship with their children in the Parish Hall, the sermon can be heard there through speakers.
While there are no current children-specific events or activities, All Souls is poised for numerical growth. If that happens, more children-specific programming would be welcome, provided we retain the sense of intergenerational community as a whole.
Community Outreach
All Souls Church has ebbed and flowed with community outreach events over the years. Currently, we have four primary outreach areas, funded primarily through special donations, the shop, and the rummage sale.
The Alms Fund: This helps people in crisis, especially through our pantry and garden ministries, but also when they find themselves unable to pay emergency medical bills, need to recover from a disaster, or suddenly find themselves out of a job. This is funded through special donations, the shop, the rummage sale, and loose change in the offering plate.
The Pantry: At various times, we have provided food and clothing to organizations that feed and support single parents and children of families who are in financial difficulties within the community.
The Garden: The garden was established five years ago in the former preschool playground as a place to grow vegetables and fruit for our feeding ministry, and for individual folk to grow produce themselves.
The people who originally launched the idea have since returned to the United States. But our garden continues to grow to produce for our feeding ministry, thanks to parishioners and military service members from Foster and Kadena who sometimes join parishioners on the first Saturday workdays.
Disaster Relief: We also participate in times of need based on earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters worldwide. We have provided funds, water, food, clothing, towels, blankets, footwear, tarps, toilet paper, pet food, hygiene items, and first aid items to victims. We offer a haven for our community members in need during typhoons, tsunamis, and other natural disasters.
The Shop: The Shop provides Christian books and gifts for our members and community who visit for special events.
Rummage Sale: Announcements for procuring donated items are targeted at American personnel preparing to return stateside. Throughout summer we collect used children’s clothing, household goods, and furniture. The sale date is strategically chosen to coincide with the arrival of new families, and baked goods are donated on the sale date, also.
Living Memorial
All Souls Church was named for the Japanese, Americans, Okinawans, and allies who perished during the Battle of Okinawa, which was waged from March 26 to June 23, 1945. In 1995, at the 50th anniversary of this event, the names of the war dead were read out loud in the sanctuary each day of the battle. Two hundred thousand names were compiled in binders now housed in the inner chapel.
Those present 25 years ago remember it was a solemn and moving event. This was repeated in 2020, to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa. This experience so moved the people who came to read that we were asked to make names available every year. The names are in separate binders for Americans and Allies, the Japanese by prefecture, and the Okinawan names by city. This year, we moved them to the narthex, next to the prayer candles, so they are available all year round.
Irei no Hi, or Okinawa Memorial Day, is observed each year on June 23. All Souls Church hosts the annual Diocese of Okinawa observance for a memorial prayer service. At this event, the retiring rector taught an obon-style dance to the hymn “The Peace of Christ.”
“Obon odori" is a folk dance held during the summer holidays, and it was believed that the deceased came down to earth and danced with their loved ones. Custom-made fans called "uchiwa" were designed for this dance, and everyone in the parish joined in as we danced with “the communion of saints.” We continue to practice this dance during weekly worship as part of our passing of the peace.
And in early November, we remember those who perished in the Battle of Okinawa at our annual All Souls Evensong for the Departed.
Finance and Administration
All Souls is a small congregation with room to grow. For many years it was financially independent and helped fund other diocesan work. In the past decade, it has become more interdependent upon the diocese for financial support, but there is a desire to reverse that trend. We need a shepherd with administrative gifts and financial acumen to achieve this goal.
We have some part-time staff members, including an operations manager, interpreter, organist/choir director, and sextant/groundskeeper; so not all administrative duties fall to the rector. On the other hand, we have no financial expert or bookkeeper, no altar guild, and no programmatic staff members leading faith formation, children’s ministries, youth ministries, etc.; so a little bit of “Jack of all trades”-ness is needed.
Financially, most of our income derives from tithes and offerings. Although we have some cash reserves and a small investment fund, we have no endowments.
We receive rental income from tenant Hanna Kokoro Clinic for use of the downstairs facility and 17 parking spaces, a nearby noodle shop for 10 parking spaces, and a nearby restaurant for several evening spaces. We also receive a small fee from musicians who come to the sanctuary to practice the pipe organ, especially before seasonal events.
Diocesan-wide events sometimes occur here, too, primarily because we have the pipe organ, a good-sized parking lot, and the Diocesan Columbarium for inurnment ceremonies.
History
Shortly After World War II in the late 1950s, the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Japanese Anglican Church) requested assistance from the Episcopal Church of the United States to look after the pastoral needs of the people of Okinawa, which became an American possession after the war. Also of concern were the many Anglican communicants on the island who were formerly afflicted with Hansen’s disease.
All Souls Church was founded in the 1950s by the Americans stationed or working in Okinawa, primarily to serve those serving in the U.S. forces. Two American Priests, also World War II veterans, answered this call and arrived in Okinawa in 1951.
All Souls is named in honor of those of every nation who died during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 when more than 240,000 lives were lost. The original congregation began under the supervision of the Bishop of Hawaii and the Episcopal Church of the United States. During those early years, the clergy included Edmond Lee Browning, who came in 1959 and remained on the island for twelve years.
The “Missionary” Diocese of Okinawa was formed, and Edmond Lee Browning was chosen as our first Bishop. Browning later served as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1985 to 1997.
In 1972, when Okinawa reverted from a U.S. possession back to Japan, the Diocese was transferred from the Episcopal Church to the Anglican Church in Japan (Nippon Sei Ko Kai). Paul Saneaki Nakamura was elected Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Okinawa. In the transfer, it was agreed that All Souls Church would continue as an English-speaking congregation as a mission to the Americans and to maintain its worship in the Episcopal tradition with the American prayer book. The original building was in Makiminato, but it was moved to its present location in 1990.
Today, the Diocese of Okinawa has grown from those early days and consists of twelve churches, the sanatoria for the victims of Hansen’s disease, a student dormitory, a convent, preschools, and several daycare centers.
Rector Search Criteria
Like any parish, All Souls seeks a rector who loves God, loves people, is honest, and will strive to listen to how the Holy Spirit is inviting him or her to effectively lead this particular group of people in our faith development and the carrying out of the mission of the church. We seek a person of integrity and humility. Because of our history, location, and sociological makeup, we also have some particular desires we would like to highlight.
First, All Souls Church is rich in history, having embraced parishioners with various social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds; and it continues to explore its role amid social changes while preserving the Episcopal tradition. The English-speaking Christian community in Okinawa contains Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant churches of the Conservative Evangelical and Charismatic traditions. The limited presence of Anglican chaplaincy, which is dominated by the influence of the Anglican Church in North America, makes All Souls Church the only open and affirming Christian church on the island. It is a progressive parish that welcomes and affirms all people, regardless of race, creed, beliefs, or who a person chooses to love. This is an important part of our identity; therefore, a rector aligned with a progressive theological bent characteristic of the American Episcopalian Church is a high priority.
Second, All Souls survived several seasons of financial ups and downs. We are on the upswing and would like to continue that trajectory. Though we have a way to go (as you can see from our salary package), we believe we are on a path toward financial independence. We can become better contributors to not only our community, but also the work of the diocese, and beyond. We need a leader with financial acuity and systems thinking skills to help us become the best stewards of what God entrusts to us so that we may maximize the master’s “talents.”
Third, We have begun to understand our mission is not just to the English-speaking members of the diocese, but also to be a cross-cultural bridge for the American and Japanese on Okinawa. While it would be wonderful if our next rector could speak both English and Japanese, that is not a requirement. Someone who is extremely culturally and linguistically sensitive, however, is paramount. While our Japanese and Okinawan parishioners prefer the services to be conducted in English, they also very much appreciate the translated printed materials. While we have many military-connected American families, we also recognize the dynamics of a local community occupied by a foreign military power. We need a leader who can help build bridges of trust and healing, someone to lead us to do the same within our spheres of influence.
When soliciting feedback from congregants in preparation for writing this document, one parishioner wrote, “All Souls is an amazing and unique parish that marries the Japanese and American cultures. We are a tightly-knit church family that will become a second family to the rector. There is also an amazing view!”
Rector’s Salary and Benefits
SALARY
The following tables, containing guidelines for compensation of clergy in this Diocese, be used in the call process and in negotiations and review of the Letter of Agreement.
There will be a regular mutual ministry review of the parish by the clergy, wardens, and vestry. That there will be an annual salary and benefit review to ensure appropriate compensation.
The Diocese of Okinawa will offer the rector a monthly stipend in yen based upon the years of experience after ordained Deacon. The Diocese will also give a Winter Bonus and a Summer Bonus at 2 times the current monthly stipend rate.
|
Years after Ordained Deacon |
Base Salary |
Raise |
Years after Ordained Deacon |
Base Salary |
Raise |
|
1 |
185,00 |
|
26 |
272,600 |
1,800 |
|
2 |
190,000 |
5,000 |
27 |
274,400 |
1,800 |
|
3 |
195,000 |
5,000 |
28 |
276,200 |
1,800 |
|
4 |
201,000 |
6,000 |
29 |
278,000 |
1,800 |
|
5 |
207,000 |
6,000 |
30 |
279,800 |
1,800 |
|
6 |
217,000 |
10,000 |
31 |
281,600 |
1,800 |
|
7 |
221,000 |
4,000 |
32 |
283,400 |
1,800 |
|
8 |
225,000 |
4,000 |
33 |
285,200 |
1,800 |
|
9 |
229,000 |
4,000 |
34 |
287,000 |
1,800 |
|
10 |
233,000 |
4,000 |
35 |
288,800 |
1,800 |
|
11 |
237,000 |
4,000 |
36 |
290,600 |
1,800 |
|
12 |
241,000 |
4,000 |
37 |
292,400 |
1,800 |
|
13 |
245,000 |
4,000 |
38 |
294,200 |
1,800 |
|
14 |
249,000 |
4,000 |
39 |
296,000 |
1,800 |
|
15 |
251,000 |
2,000 |
40 |
297,800 |
1,800 |
|
16 |
253,000 |
2,000 |
41 |
299,600 |
1,800 |
|
17 |
255,000 |
2,000 |
42 |
301,400 |
1,800 |
|
18 |
257,000 |
2,000 |
43 |
303,200 |
1,800 |
In addition to the stipend from the Diocese, the parish of All Souls Anglican/Episcopal church will offer the rector a monthly stipend of $1,000 (USD).
Benefits
The clergy shall be paid at least the minimum base cash salary for the appropriate salary range. The following additional benefits will be part of the total compensation for all full-time clergy:
1. Besides the stipend, employees (including clergies) are required to join the mandatory Japanese pension, health insurance, and long-term nursing insurance.The diocese will pay 50 % of the pension payment, and All Souls Anglican/Episcopal Church will cover the remaining 50%. This pension can be claimed when leaving Japan as a lump-sum withdrawal payment based on the number of months of contribution. The church will cover payment of the health and long-term nursing insurance.
2. The priest shall have full and exclusive use of the rectory and the utilities for the rectory shall be paid by the parish.
3. The priest will have full and exclusive use of the car that comes with the rectory.
4. The priest will be provided a cell phone by the parish.
5. The following periods of leave at full compensation:
a. Annual Vacation of four weeks, including five Sundays. Vacation time shall not be cumulative and may not be carried forward into a succeeding year, unless by previous arrangement under extenuating circumstances, as arranged with and approved by the Wardens.
b. New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) to be taken in cooperation with the needs of the parish as negotiated with the wardens.
c. Professional Development Leave at the rate of two weeks per year, including one Sunday.
d. The Rector shall be eligible for a Sabbatical time after the sixth year of service, and every sixth year thereafter. A Sabbatical time is three (3) months in length, and not more than (4) months, if the Rector elects to append /his/her vacation time to extend the Sabbatical for the fourth month. It is agreed that, following a sabbatical, the Rector will remain in his/her position for at least twelve months. The Rector must notify the Bishop six (6) months prior to taking a Sabbatical leave.
e. Clergy Sick Leave Policy – If illness or injury inhibits the rector’s performance or causes the rector to be absent on a Sunday morning, a warden shall be notified. The wardens are to be dually concerned with the rector and parish’s health. If repeated or chronic absence of the rector becomes a factor in the life of the parish, then the rector, a warden or both shall notify the Bishop.
7. Relocation expenses at a cost not to exceed the estimate provided by the moving company contracted by the Diocese.
Application Process
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume, responses to the prompts in the Parish Profile, any other supporting materials you would like to include to:
Rev. Dr. Christine Penner, Search Committee Chair
All Souls Anglican Episcopal Church
christine.penner@twkumc.org
Application Deadline: February 1, 2025