The Orion Monitor

Issue #5

November, 2004

www.OrionMonitor.com

Part II

Getting to the Source of the "Tensions"

The Elders Meet to Discuss "Tensions between English and Japanese Language Ministries"

By Dennis Hokama

October 19, 2004

Background

Most reasonable people⁽¹⁾ would conclude that one of the agenda items on the elders meeting scheduled for 10/09/04 was to address the fallout from the explosive board meeting of 9/23/04. During that board meeting, in the presence of the Conference President (Larry Caviness) and the Metro region Coordinator (Gerard Kiemeny), Shindo Matsuda, a long time leader of the Japanese language ministry, and former head elder of the former Los Angeles Central Japanese church, had confronted Pastor Albert Frederico with some serious challenges that Pastor Albert refused to answer during the board meeting despite Shindo’s repeated request:⁽²⁾

1. Why had Pastor Albert never listened to the Japanese side and returned three times with variations of the same unacceptable plan the Japanese side had rejected the first time, which cost the church $16,000 in architectural fees? What was also implicit in Shindo’s question was the charge that Pastor Albert had attempted to shift the blame for the wasted $16,000 onto the Japanese side, by ignoring the fact that Pastor Albert had been told four times what the Japanese side’s criteria for approval were.⁽³⁾

2. Why had the Pastor demanded that they keep the building committees plans a secret from the rest of the Japanese church until the plan was formally presented? The implication was that the demand for secrecy had been an unethical, undemocratic tactic to give Pastor Albert the best chance of succeeding in passing a building plan to which the Japanese were all opposed.

3. Why had their opinion been so disrespected that they had been made to feel subhuman?

This was a response to a challenge that had been hurled by Joe Furukawa who had charged the Japanese leadership for wasting $16,000 for their refusal to approve any of the architectural plans that had been presented by the building committee headed by Pastor Albert (whether or not he was the chairman). This had not been the first time this controversy had flared up in board meetings, but was a controversy which had simmered for well over a year. In fact, there are many allusions to previous crises over this same issue that are made in this board meeting. Shindo had been so disgusted and frustrated that he had resigned from the last committee just prior to their presentation to the board, and Pat had been hurriedly appointed to replace him just before they had to present their findings. Joe alludes to this when he asked if Pat had been a member of these building committees. Pat directly alludes to this pre-existing conflict when she replies,

"Well, I was appointed very late in the process on the last committee and was asked to present it. But I could see right away that there had been no meeting of the mind between the Japanese and American side. I don't know what went on before that."

Shindo’s resignation from the building committee was followed by the Tony Ing/Harvey Yamamoto affair which focused on the building of a church independently of Pastor Albert. So there was a logical connection between the board confrontation over the building committee and the conflagration that nearly tore the church apart in the last year. In that conflagration, the lines of conflict were clearly between the Japanese language ministry led by Harvey, and Pastor Albert and to a lesser extent the HH English language ministry. The alienation was so complete at one point (4/28/03), that the Japanese side refused to worship in Hacienda church and had their own private potluck at Dr. Tamura’s house.⁽⁴⁾

During this period, the alienation between Harvey, who was now representing the Japanese language side, and Pastor Albert was so blatant that nobody could possibly have missed it. In fact, since the rift between Harvey and Pastor Albert, Harvey made an appearance at the board to request that his donated money previously reserved for Pastor Albert’s salary be moved to the Japanese language ministry.

The reason why these specific references to an ongoing conflict need to be pointed out is the claim by the HH elders and Pastor Albert that they had not seen nor heard of anything that would lead them to suspect that there was any tension between the Japanese language ministry and any other party in the elders meeting that I am about to describe.

The larger context in which this confrontation came up was a discussion about whether the Hacienda church would be better served by moving into one region, rather than staying on both the Asian Pacific and L.A. Metro region. Elder Caviness had been invited by Pastor Frederico to lead a discussion on that subject. After witnessing the exchanges that took place, Elder Caviness’ observation was that it was obvious we had unresolved internal problems that could not be fixed by changing our regional membership. He left us with the admonition to keep talking.

I received an invitation via e-mail from Pastor Albert to attend this elders meeting, even though I am not a church elder, and have not been attending Sabbath School or church service here for many years. I had ostensibly been invited because I had just interviewed Pastor Albert by phone concerning the aftermath of the embarrassing board meeting of 9/23/04. Here is his letter of invitation:

10/08/04, 12:19 P.M.

Dear Denny,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to look over your typed notes of our conversation⁽⁵⁾ and offer a response. Here is a partial response...

There are some things that I would like to clarify. But, it would take a little time and I need to get my sermon in order since Sabbath is coming quickly.

In the meanwhile, I have an idea. Elder Caviness, at the board meeting, suggested that we work together to resolve tensions. I think the Pastors should consult with the Elders at the Elders meeting this Sabbath afternoon, and see what they think would be the best approach. I appreciate very much your desire to take part in reducing tensions. I think our church should be a place where we all step forward to help reduce tensions and to effect reconciliation, it's Godly work.

Would you be willing to be my guest at the Elder's Meeting? I'm sure the Elders would appreciate hearing what you have found; it sounded like you had some insights and ideas, that we didn't get into very much, probably because of time constraints. We're meeting during potluck in the lobby of the church. Even if you were to arrive late (from Loma Linda?), with the other things we have to talk about, I'm reasonably sure you could get there in time.

Thanks,

Pastor Albert

While the invitation seemed very open on the surface, I was a little uncomfortable about the implied coercion. My reading of it seemed to imply that his invitation was contingent upon me coming in to help bring about peace on his terms. If I said nothing and simply accepted, then he could interpret that as my agreement to play by those rules. Since I was unwilling to accept any strings or conditions on my invitation, I therefore felt obligated to respond as follows:

10/08/04, 3:46 P.M.

Dear Pastor,

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I would appreciate it greatly if you would clarify anything in that account which you think has a potential to be misinterpreted.

With regard to your invitation to the elders’ meeting, I will be happy to attend, even if it is to be a witness. I make it a point to try to be present when matters of historical importance will be addressed at the HH church.

I should clarify what my priority is in all of this. I seek understanding of that which is confused or misunderstood, which is not to say that I necessarily succeed. Whether that results in increased tension or decreased tension is not my main concern. Sometimes understanding the situation justifies an increase in tensions. However, understanding will lead to a dissipation of UNWARRANTED tensions, and I am always in favor of that.

The point is that however we think about a subject, whether it be a heightened state of alarm and fear, delirious happiness, a warm cuddly feeling, or complete indifference, it should be built upon on a foundation of the best evidence, an accurate history, and the most logical analysis of which we are capable. But we should not arbitrarily proclaim "peace, peace" when the circumstances demand painful confrontation and ultimatums, nor should we deliver ultimatums and beat the war drums before we even know what the assumptions and intentions of the other side are. There is a season for everything, and it takes a knowledge of the relevant historical facts and a logical analysis of them to discern which season it is.

I do not claim to be neutral with respect to ethnic ministries (of which the Japanese language ministries is an example), because after much analysis, I have concluded that they are defensible from a theological, philosophical, historical, biological, sociological and psychological perspective. However, it is a conclusion that is still negotiable in principle, and I am happy to argue the case with any who have differing conclusions. For a short version of my line of reasoning, see the March/April Adventist Today in 2001 (http://www.atoday.com/magazine/archive/2001/marapr2001/articles/whyethnic.shtml)

Appreciatively,

Denny

My discomfort would have remained simply that, had I not seen the agenda that Pastor Albert sent out by e-mail to his elders on Friday evening by Pastor Albert. Upon reading the letter late Friday night, I was completely astounded and upset by his mischaracterization of the problem, and what seemed like a blatant attempt to misdirect attention away from himself and place it upon the Japanese and English language ministries. I found my intelligence being insulted and assaulted by every line. (Please see Appendix)

After my initial negative reaction, I realized that the agenda itself could be used constructively by turning it into a case study of the kind of tactics to which we had been objecting for six years, and would serve as an explanation why nobody had ever been able to lay their finger on the root of the problem. After thinking about it all night, I decided that I would not merely attend, but prepare a written document to present to the church elders, based on the obvious denial and misdirection present in the agenda itself. I wrote the first version of this paper hastily on Sabbath morning before I left for Loma Linda, and had Pat take it to the church to make copies. Now I knew there was going to have to be a confrontation of sorts, because I had entitled my paper Thou Art The Man!, an obvious allusion to the words of Nathan to David who had been unable to recognize himself in a parable.⁽⁶⁾

I left the Schuman Pavilion Sabbath School in Loma Linda earlier than usual to make it back to Hacienda Heights in time for the elders meeting which might begin as early as 12:30. Pat had called me earlier in the middle of the Sabbath school session to remind me of this.

The drive took about 25 minutes, and I arrived at about 12:45. Pot luck is in full swing, and the church elders are still milling around getting their food in the social hall. I see Pastor Albert standing around talking, so I make it a point to let him know I am here and shake his hand. He is friendly as usual. I ask around and discover that the meeting is to be held in the Mother’s room. When the elders began to drift over there half an hour later, I followed them into that small room at the back of the sanctuary. Reijin is sitting in the corner and invites me to sit next to him. The tiny room begins to fill up, and the elders sit almost reverently for Pastor Albert to begin. In that small confined space, he looms large, and I am beginning to see how hard it is to challenge the framework within which he will attempt to place the problem. When we are fully assembled, there are eight of us present:

Attendance roster

(From my left)

1. Reijin Fujita (in the SW corner)

2. Robert Coffee

3. Mike Noyes (NW corner)

4. Pastor Albert (directly across from me, facing South, back to sanctuary)

5. Oliver Charles

6. Diana Palmer (NE corner)

7. Gene Hobson (just North of the door)

8. Rick Bridgeman (Just south of door)

10. Pat Hokama (Next to me. However, when Pat left, Rick eventually came to sit next to me in a rocking chair. )

Pat and Diana will leave and return after helping with the music for another program that is going on simultaneously. Reijin also leaves before the meeting is over.

The Meeting Begins

After the opening prayer, Pastor Albert mentions that a number of items will be discussed. Some items pertain to the worship service and don’t concern all the elders. He proposes that they address the question of "tensions" in the church first.

The Pastor begins laying out the problem as he saw it, and proposed a plan to resolve it as he had already done in his e-mailed agenda. He also explains that I am here by his invitation to contribute to the discussion on the tensions between the English and Japanese language ministries. When finished, he opened it up for discussion. It went something like this:

Albert: OK, lets get started. Some feel that there are a lot of ongoing tensions between the Japanese and English ministries. Do you agree?

(Pastor Albert turns to his elders and awaits their responses. Every one of the HH⁽⁷⁾ elders present deny they have any evidence or personal knowledge that there is any tension between the Japanese and English ministries. The CJ elders (Reijin and Pat) sit silently waiting for the HH elders to finish. Then Pastor Albert begins to give his own opinion.)

Albert: Two weeks ago, brother Shindo and I had some personal problems to work out. But brother Reijin spoke to brother Shindo on my behalf, and thanks to that help, Thank you brother Reijin, brother Shindo and I were able to work things out. As a result, we were able to wash each others feet during the Ordinance of Humility this past Sabbath. So I feel very good about our relationship now. Does anybody have anything else that still might be a problem?

(The meeting has been going on for about 30 minutes, and it seems that the problem is about to be dismissed.)

Pat: What do you think some of the problems are? (She is asking the group.)

Group: (All repeat that they know of nothing specific.)

Dennis: I have a lot to say, but I didn’t want to speak until I had heard what each one of you thought. (Looking at Pastor Albert:) Let me begin by saying that I interviewed Shindo and Dennis Imai concerning your foot washing and your private meeting that afternoon. You are right about the personal relationship part, but your interpretation of that event is completely wrong. Shindo said that he has nothing personal against you, which is why he was willing to participate in the ordinance of humility with you.

But in the meeting you had with him afterwards, he says nothing was resolved having to do with the questions he raised. He still asked you to put your answers to his questions in an e-mail, and you refused to do it. So that challenge still stands, and he remains unsatisfied. Dennis Imai said that he thought you were quite patronizing in your attempt to placate Shindo, so that has not been resolved either. I also asked you the same questions Shindo asked you, and your answers to me did nothing to decrease the tensions at all, but rather increase them. So your perception of that event and of the situation at Hacienda Heights is exactly backwards. There is a big unresolved problem.

(Turning to the HH elders) I have listened to all of you say that you know of nothing that would indicate any tensions between the English and Japanese language ministries. None of you have a clue as to what is happening! The reality is the opposite of what you perceive.

You all saw what happened at the board meeting. Did that mean nothing to you? On 9/23, four days before that, there was a delegation of 22 Japanese language representatives that went to the Conference office to complain. It was a delegation that consisted of English speaking members in their twenties, all the way up to Japanese speaking members in their eighties. Their unanimous conclusion was that the status quo with respect to the regions was not acceptable. So this whole merger is about to explode, and all of you elders have seen and heard nothing to lead you think there is tension? What is going on here?

Gene: Wait a minute! (His wide blue eyes are flashing with hurt) Every time I pass the Japanese members, I see nothing but smiles! That is all I see, and kind, polite words are all I hear! I work for the church, and what...

Dennis: Gene, that’s because that is exactly how they actually feel about you! (I interrupt because he has misinterpreted what I have said due to Pastor Albert’s premise that the tension lay between the Japanese and English language ministries) I have never heard anything negative about you. Nobody thinks anything but positive things about you, nor any of the elders here!

Look, I was at that the business meeting where Tony Ing’s proposal was considered. That was about the rockiest and hottest that things have ever been between the Japanese side and the English language side, right? But even in that meeting, I never saw or heard anything negative or unreasonable by anyone on the HH side! I know you were criticized for something you said, but the things you asked for were perfectly reasonable and responsible. I was even sympathetic to what Jemima said. None of you have said or done anything that I thought was unreasonable, or prejudiced! Now there were some on the Japanese side who felt hurt by some things said in that meeting, but I thought that you all acquitted yourselves well, and you have nothing to apologize for. None of it has been your fault! I have written a report about that meeting, and that is what I concluded. I would love to show it to you.

Gene: We never were told of any problems (He seems quite relieved).

Dennis: That is right. Nobody told you, so there is nothing that you have to apologize for, or feel guilty about! You have all been great in your dealings with the Japanese side!

Mike: I have always wondered about what really happened in that meeting. I was told to stay away. I would like to see that report.⁽⁸⁾

Someone: You were asked not to come?!

Mike: Yes, I was actually told not to come!

Dennis: I’ll try and get copies to you.

Mike: Great. But if that is not the problem, then what is?

Dennis: Well, that is what I came to talk about, but I have a written report that I would like to present. But I am only a guest and don’t want to impose my agenda on anyone. Do you wish for me to hand out copies and read it, or just hand them out?

Albert: Wait a minute! I don’t think we want to accept Denny’s report as an authoritative source. (There appears to be alarm and concern in his eyes and voice.)

Rick: We aren’t saying that Dennis is an authority. This is just his take on the subject.

Dennis: I am not saying I am an authority. I write what I hear and see. My analysis has to be judged on its merits.

Diana: Are you saying it’s all Pastor Albert’s fault? That couldn’t be right.

Dennis: No, I’m not saying that.

Mike: But then what is the problem?

Dennis: That is what I’d like to explain in my paper. It is better that I read that than talk off the top of my head.

Mike: Do you have that paper here?

Dennis: Yes, it’s right over there. (I point to a manila folder that Pat has.) Shall I distribute that?

Albert: Wait a minute. I don’t think we want to do that.

Diana: I’d like to know what the problem is then.

Dennis: I’d like to explain. That is why I wrote the paper this morning. I don’t think I can do as good a job as my paper can.

(Finally, there seems to be group consensus that I should show them what I mean. So I take out copies and distribute them. There is silence for about 5-10 minutes as people read intently. Diana leaves to play music some time during this period and is not present when the discussion begins again.)

Rick: I see some words in here that are.....quite....

Dennis: Inflammatory? Let me help you out. I was thinking the same thing as I was reading here silently. Words phrases like "outrageous if not pathological," or "near pathological" should not have been used in connection with denial, and I don’t think I should have used this title either (Thou Art the Man!). If I had a chance to do some editing, I would take them out. I apologize for using words that are too emotion laden to be helpful.

Mike: Yes, I was noticing those words also.

Dennis: I apologize for that. I will edit them out.

Rick: Are you saying that Pastor Albert is misleading us on purpose so as to prevent us from identifying the real problem??

Dennis: Yes, I am. But I also say that Pastor Albert is in deep denial, so I am not saying nor implying that he is intentionally doing anything wrong or bad. I assume that he is doing what he thinks is right.

Albert: Well, I deny that I am in denial. If I deny I am in denial, does that mean I am in denial?

Dennis: No. But if you are the only one that can’t see something that is obvious to the rest of us, then it would be reasonable to conclude that you are in denial.

Diana: (She returns from the other meeting) Perhaps you have talked about this, but there are some words in here that bother me.

Rick: Yes, we have. Dennis is going to take out the inflammatory words and the title.

Someone: Are you saying that we don’t have the same understanding of the merger?

Dennis: Yes, I am. Pastor Albert has one idea, and the Japanese language ministries has another idea, so they kept talking past each other. That lies at the heart of the building committees conflicts. So it’s not ultimately Pastor Albert’s "management style" they had a problem with. They had contradictory understandings of the merger itself, and Pastor Albert is trying to implement an understanding of the merger that they reject. That is the problem that ought to be confronted squarely.

Albert: Look, some of the English speaking former Japanese church members have told me⁽⁹⁾, "Hey, we put in just as much money as the Japanese language ministry side did into the old church property, and we’re happy with the way things are going!"⁽¹⁰⁾ (Pastor Albert shrugs his shoulders as he says this.)

Dennis: I know that the Hawaiian Nisei say that. But that’s not the Japanese language ministry.

Albert: It’s not just the Hawaiian Nisei.

Dennis: Name me one single exception!

Albert: Darlene or Dee?

Dennis: They are not Hawaiian Nisei!⁽¹¹⁾

Gene(?): But we should have just gone by the merger agreement we both signed!

Dennis: The merger document is part of the problem. I just looked at it. There is nothing in there that can clarify anything because the Japanese campus property is not mentioned among the assets that are to be brought into the merger.

Pastor Albert, didn’t you write the merger agreement?

Albert: Well, yes, but I am going to defend it, because it was reviewed by all the Conference officials, and they signed off on it.

Dennis: Well, at that time, it may have seemed like a good idea.⁽¹²⁾

Robert: Are you saying that the merger was like the confusion the Indians and the Europeans had over land ownership?

Dennis: Yes! I think that’s a great example. Both sides thought they understood what they had agreed to, but they came into the agreement with two different world views that were not compatible, and were never reconciled. So neither side had the agreement they thought they had agreed upon.

Robert: This is like being in school again!

Gene: But look! Even if we assume the Japanese language ministry’s understanding of the merger is right, if we had to finance any part of the building, then the whole church would have had to be financially responsible. If the whole church is going to become financially obligated, then the whole church should have a say in what they are financing.

Dennis: Gene, you are again being perfectly reasonable. Of course you are right! You would have had no argument from the Japanese side on that. But that is not what happened.

Albert: Let’s talk about what did happen. We considered the separate building for which the Japanese side was asking, and the architect showed us how much more that would cost. The reason why I wanted those plans to be kept confidential was that I didn’t want the Japanese side to see something they couldn’t afford, because they would get even more excited, only to be disappointed when they couldn’t afford it.⁽¹³⁾

Diana?: Yea, it’s better not to see something you can’t afford, because then you will never be satisfied with less.⁽¹⁴⁾

Dennis: Entering the merger with different understandings of the merger agreement was not the only thing. Language was also a big problem and continues to be. I can’t blame any of you for not fully understanding what the Japanese side is really saying at board meetings, nor do they necessarily understand all that is being said.

Rick: Maybe you underestimate us. Many of us here have been living in a multi-lingual culture, and some of us are married to people of different nationalities. So I think we do a pretty good job of understanding the Japanese.

Dennis: I think this church is excellent at understanding other languages. But I think I understand Japanese language and culture better than most non-Japanese. And I still have trouble understanding what they say sometimes, and I have to work at it. If it is’t that easy for me, then I assume it can’t be that easy for others.

Reijin: I do my business many years with scientists from all over the place, and I have no problem. So I think I can handle things OK.⁽¹⁵⁾

Mike: You imply in your paper that ignoring a problem and moving on is not an option. But there are times when there is nothing that can be done about a problem. In those cases, you might as well just go on.

Dennis: Sure, such situations may exist. But you can’t know you have one unless you analyze it first.

Albert: Well, it’s getting to be that time. Denny has agreed that he will revise this paper, so I suggest we give him back his copies. Here is mine. (I accept it.)

Rick: Here, I’ll give you back my paper also. But here’s my e-mail address. (He hands me back his paper and gives me a slip of paper with his e-mail address.

Dennis: Mike, I will revise the paper, but if you want to hang onto your copy so you can think about the ideas more, I will e-mail you the revised copy.

Mike: OK. Here’s my e-mail address.

Albert: Before we adjourn, I do want to emphasize that I reject the idea that I am in denial. We will have to reconvene to continue this discussion at a later date. Perhaps on October 30. Mike, will you offer the benediction?

(In the end, I only collect Pastor Albert and Rick’s paper. The discussion is quite friendly and low keyed as we break up to go home.)

Epilogue

I finish my revisions on October 12, and e-mailed them out to the people (Rick Bridgeman, Mike Noyes, and Pastor Albert) whose e-mail addresses I had.

Appendix

For historical purposes only, here is the original version of the paper which I hastily composed on Sabbath morning, 10/09/04. My revised version is Anatomy of an Agenda with a Stacked Deck.

By Dennis Hokama

There is no better example of what is wrong with this church than the very agenda that was sent out by the Pastor to the elders to address the presence of tensions in the Hacienda Heights church. It is the very thinking that led to the composition of this notice that is the source of the "tensions" between the Japanese and English ministries. It is this thinking that is like a cancer spreading though both ministries and poisoning the well at the Hacienda Heights church. Let me explain why, line by line.

One of the subjects that I think we should talk about tomorrow is the presence of tensions between the Japanese and English ministries.

Note first the subtle arrogance, the self righteousness, and condescending implication and tone of the letter. The unstated premise of the letter is that Pastor Albert is above the fray, because the tension that exists is between the Japanese and English ministries. He presumes to be the one looking down benignly from above, trying to solve a problem that exists between the squabbling ministries.

Now considering the continuous running battle the Pastor has had with the Japanese language ministries and the English speaking Japanese ministries, this automatic pass he awards himself in this memo, requires a level of naivete that I find impossible to accept.

Consider the overwhelming evidence against the presumption that Pastor Albert should be given an automatic pass on the possibility that he was at least part of the reason for the tensions. In the board meeting just about two weeks ago, we all witnessed the level of frustration and anger that Shindo felt toward Pastor Albert concerning the long running building committee. Shindo said he wasn’t even given the respect of a human being. The Pastor refused to answer Shindo’s questions and requested that they have a private meeting. Shindo rejected that offer, demanding a public reply instead. Now I only cite this one specific instance to show that there is no way that anybody with a sound mind would eliminate the possibility that Pastor Albert was at least part of the problem. Note, however that the incident Shindo referred to did not even happen recently, and everybody on the Japanese side knows this story, and considers it typical of Pastor Albert’s modus operandi. In the past six years, there has hardly if ever been a time when the Japanese side did NOT have a fresh grievance against Pastor Albert. I propose that it is a no-brainer that Pastor Albert consider himself a prime candidate for being part of the problem. In view of this, I can reach no other conclusion than that we are looking at an outrageous, if not pathological case of denial.

Now I know that Shindo and Albert washed each other’s feet the following Sabbath. But I spoke to Shindo after the weekend. Shindo said that the foot washing indicated only that he did not take what Albert did personally, but that none of the ministry issues were settled satisfactorily in their private meeting. Furthermore, Dennis Imai who was there as a witness, said he was horrified by the patronizing and condescending manner with which the Pastor tried to placate Shindo, who is a very proud man. Shindo is still awaiting a satisfactory answer to his challenges.

Apart from the embarrassing public expressions of hostility and frustration directed against Pastor Albert by one of the backbones of the Japanese language ministry, I suggest that on general principles alone, it is not responsible for a Christian Pastor to automatically exempt himself from scrutiny, and attempt to direct attention everywhere other than himself. If this were a football game, it would be called a misdirection play. I think all of you know that what I am saying is based on sound reasoning.

· Some feel that there are a lot of ongoing tensions between the Japanese and English ministries. Do you agree?

Some feel?? Why would they ever think that? Note the implication here that Pastor Albert himself does not personally have any reason to suspect such a thing, but "others" think so. Yet it is Pastor Albert himself who was embarrassed publicly in the most recent board meeting by a furious representative of the Japanese language ministries. It was so serious that he had to call an emergency elders meeting after the board meeting mainly to deal with the potential repercussions of this confrontation. Yet it is only "others" that seem to know of any tensions? And why does the Pastor presume that this tension is between the ministries, when the anger was directed specifically at him? This is again an outrageous, if not pathological instance of denial.

· If so, should we attempt to resolve them? How?

Maybe the "others" are right, but maybe the "others" are just having paranoid hallucinations. But the Pastor himself has apparently no idea as to which of these possibilities are correct. Even if those who think there are tensions are correct, it is apparently a viable option to refuse to make an attempt to resolve them. I envision a shrug of the shoulders as he writes this. "Maybe we will, maybe we won’t."

How? Well, now that the Pastor has succeeded in defining the potential problem as "between the ministries," which largely excludes himself, and a problem of which he apparently has no personal knowledge of, those who follow his pointed finger elsewhere, have no chance of solving it, if he himself is the primary culprit. With leadership drawing up misdirection plays, how can loyal elders be expected to accomplish anything so long as they follow his pointed finger?

We could just 'ignore' it and move on.

Is this just a rhetorical option? Given the level of denial demonstrated so far, and given that this tension has existed for six years with no resolution, perhaps the Pastor thinks this is a viable option.

I could visit with anyone who feels tensions.

The presupposition here is that Pastor Albert is not the source of the problem, but the magnanimous hero who will intervene to rescue those who are caught up in it. Is this presupposition valid? He is the one who was accused publicly in front of the Conference President of treating a board member in a way not fit for a human. In his attempt to resolve that problem privately, he used condescending and patronizing words, expressions, and gestures that were described by a third party as a further insult to Shindo’s intelligence as an adult. This has been a chronic accusation by at least the Japanese side, and I see that condescension even in this very sentence in his letter to his elders. This offer, after all, presumes spiritual and moral superiority to those who he will visit, who are caught up in petty concerns. Given that this is the case, sending Pastor Albert to those who feel this tension would be like pouring oil on fire in an attempt to put it out.

You as Elders could discuss these tensions, resolve them here, and then talk to individuals that you know feel tension.

Although plausible on one level, this statement trivializes the "tensions" as if it is some petty thing that can be disposed of readily, and that the Elders can march out dispensing the solution like a pill. The presupposition is that Pastor Albert will preside regally over this discussion and act as a facilitator to make sure the Elders do their job. The arrogance, self righteousness, and condescension in this sentence is palpable. There is no inkling of any humility or the capacity for self examination in this sentence, or in the letter.

We could publish some sort of document listing the items of tension and each of the factors, or answers that should resolve them.

If Pastor Albert is serious about this, then why not include this document in the packet you will distribute to show that the elders took their responsibility seriously? The time for playing patty cake and doing the soft shoe is over. Let’s get serious.

We could have some sort of public meeting, where we air out the tensions, resolve them and leave them behind. It could be a special board meeting or an open forum of some sort.

This has been long overdue. By all means, let’s have that open meeting and air out the tensions that have been building up for six years.

The Core Issue Responsible for the Tension

I have so far been following Pastor Albert’s agenda, which is nothing but evasion, misdirection, and denial. Now let me address what in my opinion is the core issue. The core issue is not Pastor Albert’s personality or his "style," his near pathological and chronic denial of any responsibility for the problems he causes, nor his inability to logically analyze evidence staring him in the face, as serious as such deficiencies are for a Pastor. What lies at the epicenter of the tensions between the ministries is Pastor Albert’s understanding of the merger agreement, which is in fundamental contradiction to that of the Japanese language ministries. That was the source of the problem with the building committees. It has been Pastor Albert’s promulgation of his view of the merger (which is completely contrary to the understanding of the Japanese language ministries), coupled with his secret manipulations, condescension, false analysis, denial, and misdirection plays that have set everyone’s teeth on edge, and brought this church into a crisis by creating tensions between the ministries.

Begin at the Beginning

If we are serious about addressing and solving the tension between the ministries, the first order of business would be to have Pastor Albert spell out his version of the merger agreement, and force him to defend it with logical arguments against the criticisms of those who disagree. I challenge him to do this, and I challenge the elders to force him to do this. No more squirmy evasions, denials, or misdirection plays.

Do we not all deserve to know what his operating rules have been and are, and whether they will stand up under scrutiny? The unwillingness to confront and settle this issue for six years is irresponsible and negligent, and this increasing tension between the ministries is a logical and predictable result of that. The collateral damage this negligence has caused over the years is sickening. The merger has no meaning unless there can be mutual agreement upon which it is based. At the moment there is none. Don’t you think it is about time you address this? If not now, when? If not you, then who will take responsibility for taking care of business?

The Agenda to Deal with Tension

10/08

Dear Elders,

One of the subjects that I think we should talk about tomorrow is the presence of tensions between the Japanese and English ministries.

· Some feel that there are a lot of ongoing tensions between the Japanese and English ministries. Do you agree?

· If so, should we attempt to resolve them? How?

We could just 'ignore' it and move on.

I could visit with anyone who feels tensions.

You as Elders could discuss these tensions, resolve them here, and then talk to individuals that you know feel tension.

We could publish some sort of document listing the items of tension and each of the factors, or answers that should resolve them.

We could have some sort of public meeting, where we air out the tensions, resolve them and leave them behind. It could be a special board meeting or an open forum of some sort.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Pastor Albert

XC Pastor Obara, Dennis Imai

1. A Classic Case of Denial What was remarkable about this meeting was that after six years of turmoil, continuous conflicts, innumerable board meetings, elders meetings, and despite the explosive confrontation at the most recent board meeting between Shindo Matsuda and Pastor Albert in front of their eyes, which was but the tip of a gigantic iceberg, Pastor Albert and all the assembled HH elders had not a clue that there was any problem, nor who or what was the cause of it. They apparently saw nothing wrong with the agenda, and Pastor Albert continued to defend it during the meeting. Twice during the meeting, he denied that he was in denial. At this point, there is nothing left to do but to let the evidence speak for itself.

2. Imposing His Pre-suppositions onto the Church leaders through a Contrived Agenda Pastor Albert’s greatest survival skill as head Pastor is his taking an activist approach to the "Agenda" in order to impose his perspective and his pre-suppositions onto well meaning but naive elders who apparently lack critical thinking skills of their own. He does this constantly, and this is only one example. He does this in board meetings routinely. I observed him do it in the board meeting of 10/19, although he specifically commented that he didn’t want to "stack the deck." According to the report from those who attended the English language ministry meeting, many there call this "leadership ability." This "leadership ability" has kept the HH elders completely in the dark for six years, as to the existence of, and the reasons for, the strange malady that has decimated the once vibrant Japanese language ministry over the past six years.

3. Identification with the Hawaii Nisei Theory (All assets went into one local church pot) of the Merger. Pastor Albert identifies with a theory of the merger virtually identical to that of the Hawaii Nisei who cannot understand and therefore reject the very concept of a Japanese church. He did not acquire this view by default, but chose it from the competing views that he was exposed to during the merger, despite the fact that it contradicts the views of the Japanese language ministry, the views of the Conference which strongly supports the concept of the ethnic church, and Elder Caviness, who clearly has articulated his understanding of ethnic the ministries. This cannot be denied, since Pastor Albert has always cited the Hawaiian Nisei view whenever he has been pressed for justification, just as he did in this meeting.

4. Contempt for the Concept of the Japanese Church. The logical implication of this is that Pastor Albert himself also shares the Hawaiian Nisei distaste and contempt for the concept of the Japanese church, as opposed to the concept of a local church. This theory was convenient cover for Pastor Albert’s apparent ambition for more power and control as a local church Pastor, which he cannot even conceal in his sermons.⁽¹⁶⁾ The logical result of this contempt is the complaint by Shindo Matsuda at the board meeting that the Japanese representatives presenting the Japanese language ministry perspective were not even given the respect of human beings, but were brushed off and silenced.⁽¹⁷⁾ The irony and absurdity of the Japanese church entering into a merger with a local church led by a Pastor with a nihilistic⁽¹⁸⁾ contempt for the very concept of a Japanese church should not be missed.⁽¹⁹⁾

5. Full Disclosure Would Have Meant No Merger. Had it been known by the Japanese ministry leadership that Pastor Albert harbored such a patronizing contempt for the very premise of the Japanese church, there could have been no merger in the first place. Dennis Imai, who was the chairman of the merger committee and had a chance to work closely with Pastor Albert, resigned from the merger committee because of his growing reservations about the process and Pastor Albert’s thinking, and his inability to get anyone else concerned about these issues. After an interview with Dennis Imai, the Monitor summed up his concerns as follows:

As far as he was concerned, the process was out of control, and he feared that the Japanese church might lose their identity and unique mission, becoming just another generic SDA church as a result.⁽²⁰⁾

6. A Contempt for Process Apparently because he feels commissioned by God⁽²¹⁾, he has no respect for process, and regards committees and process as mere rubber stamps whose raison d’ etre is to legitimize his power grabs. This utter lack of respect for process has been ubiquitous and characteristic for the entire six years. This is shown by his use of secrecy and surprise to get an advantage over those who would oppose his actions, as he did in the building committee. On other occasions, he has seen to it that those who were in favor of his ideas on the Japanese side got announcements and encouragement to show up at a business meeting, whereas those who were opposed to it on the English speaking side, got no announcement in the bulletin, nor an oral announcement from the podium.⁽²²⁾ When committee members cannot be manipulated to do his bidding, he simply appoints another committee that is more receptive to his direction. This contempt for process implies that he does not believe in the priesthood of all believers.

7. Personal Attacks, vs. Constructive Criticism. Pastor Albert cannot distinguish personal attacks from criticism based on principle and incompatible ideas. For example, he interpreted the confrontation in the board meeting between himself and Shindo as a personal problem that had to be addressed privately, rather than an ideological difference that has to be resolved publicly. This led him to conclude falsely that because he and Shindo had made up as friends, that the underlying ideological issue that was the basis for Shindo’s objections, did not even exist.

As mentioned previously, I led two delegations to protest his lack of process integrity. He responded with denial, and then more egregious violations of process while complaining to Harvey that he was personally attacked both times. This inability to make such a basic distinction has been chronic to his administration, and has been a major obstacle to any kind of meaningful discussion. I am resigned to the idea that Pastor Albert will probably go to his grave believing that he was the victim of an unprovoked personal attack, despite the fact that I have repeatedly taken the time to explain the difference. I just don’t believe he has the capacity to make this distinction.

8. Why Secrecy Was Needed in the Building Committee. In this elders meeting, I was finally able to understand the vial function that secrecy played in the building committee. The Pastor evidently ran the building committee with the unstated objective of diverting as much of the Japanese language ministry money to improve the local church as was possible, and still hope to pacify the Japanese side. Since a separate building would be less cost effective than building an addition to his own sanctuary, the separate building idea was a threat to his dream of using most of that money to improve his own buildings. Therefore, he apparently concluded that a separate building could not even be considered, even by the Japanese language ministry themselves, whose objective was a separate building.

Why not? Because once the Japanese church leaders saw it, they would be so thrilled that they might have been willing to spend even more to get the church of their dreams. That would have meant no money left over for Pastor Albert to feather his own nest, so such a plan could not even be allowed to see the light of day. Unless his reasoning was based along such lines, then it would have been logical to show the Japanese leaders how much such a building would cost, and let them decide what to do about the cost. The fact that such an idea was not even considered implies that there was an ulterior motive other than economics, as I have described.

Since the Japanese side assumed from the beginning of the merger that they would build a better facility at the new site, Pastor Albert knew that if the word got out early that a separate facility was not even being considered, the building committee would be under assault immediately. If they encountered such early criticism and yet stubbornly persisted, then he would have been blamed for ignoring advice, and Pastor Albert didn’t want to have to defend against that, since he knew he would be guilty. So the obvious reason for secrecy was to avoid blame for ignoring criticism.

What the Pastor apparently had in mind is that even those Japanese who wanted a new church, if being presented with a take it or leave it offer, with the prospect that they would be blamed for the wasted architectural fees if they turned it down, would knuckle under and accept his plan. He tried this scheme four times and failed, wasting $4,000 each time. Although his imposition of secrecy did allow his committee to prevent outsiders from pre-empting his plans prematurely, he got this reprieve only at the expense of suppressing his own committee members like Shindo Matsuda and Reijin Fujita. At the board meeting, it was these voices finally crying out from under the alter that took center stage. It was only fitting that the criticism he did not receive from outsiders due to his imposed secrecy, he now received from his own committee members in the presence of the Conference President.

9. Why Pastor Albert Gets Support The most telling incident is how the elders meeting began. Not one HH elder could even imagine what was wrong with the contrived agenda that Pastor Albert had prepared to misdirect attention away from himself, whereas Dennis Imai, Pat and I were livid over the same document and completely disgusted with the blatant denial required to prepare such a an absurdity. While we felt that our intelligence was being insulted by such a document, the HH elders apparently felt flattered that they were being consulted regarding such an important subject, and came in ready to be supportive of Pastor Albert’s a priori assumption that he was the hero with the solution rather the root cause of the problem they were about to tackle.

One explanation for this blatant difference in perception is that the local church has benefitted greatly from the merger, which Pastor Albert engineered. They now have a full time Pastor, which they could not afford until the merger. They have the income of the Japanese church campus to help meet their expenses, as well as the combined offerings. They have excellent children’s Sabbath school divisions, which are all staffed by JC teachers, whereas they had little before. They also now have excellent pot lucks, for which the Japanese church has been famous for many decades. This has all been delivered by Pastor Albert through the merger.

Another major factor is that the Pastor’s bias has been from the beginning toward the local church concept, and against the ethnic church concept. Under his concept, all the Japanese church assets, including the Japanese campus became the property of the local church, and their church board controls it. He ran the building committee on that premise, after all, and the HH board members, in alliance with the Hawaiian Nisei like Mrs. O, and Joe Furukawa, were in control. They have made the Japanese language ministry a marginalized minority in their own church. Under Pastor Albert’s generalship, the local church was on the verge of getting a major facelift from the proceeds of the Japanese campus. What’s not to like if you don’t care about integrity of the process by which that was being achieved?

Pastor Albert has not been oblivious to the politics and has gone out of his way to court the favor of the Hawaiian Nisei, who are finally getting their way, whereas they were a minority voice in virtual exile within the Japanese church for the last decade before the merger. Until about 1986, the Hawaiian Nisei faction led by Mrs. Oshita had an iron grip on church leadership, and much of the Japanese leadership followed.. But beginning in 1980, under the leadership of associate Pastor Dean Horinouchi, there had been a cadre of young second generation of church leaders who had been on the rise. By the mid 1980s, they were excited by Dean’s leadership and his Sansei Day Camp program, which was turning our youth into leaders and building strong bonds of friendship between the church youth and the church children. This was perceived as a threat to the establishment because it represented a completely different vision of what the church should be. Consequently, there was a secret plot to squelch it that backfired badly, and all those who had a hand in it (which included most of the Hawaiian Nisei and some of the top Japanese leaders as well) were badly discredited in 1986 for the attempted coverup of their plot.⁽²³⁾ These are all good people whom I love dearly, and I know they were only doing what they thought was right.

By 1996, when the serious merger discussions began, the old Hawaiian Nisei were out of power and in virtual exile, but they managed to get a new editor for the Orion Chronicles who promoted their anti-Japanese church, anti merger views to the exclusion of the rest of the church that supported the Japanese church concept. The Orion Monitor arose to combat that bias, and a reading of the 1998 issue makes this clear. On the church board, this group played the role of the disgruntled spoiler and obstructionist. The merger movement made progress over their steadfast opposition and eventually led to the merger with the Hacienda Heights church. But once the Hawiian Nisei met Pastor Frederico, they sensed a possible winning alliance, and soon became his strongest supporters. Now they are back in power, and they are happy. For them this represented a return from exile and redemption. What’s not to like if you don’t care about the integrity of the process by which that was brought about?

Their redemption, however, exacted a terrible price. They are now in their mid to late seventies, and the next generation of leaders that had been ready to take over the reins of leadership, have nearly all been discouraged and scattered. Now the Japanese language ministry is on the edge of a precipice, because there is no clear succession. This is the terrible legacy of the merger that never was.

10. These Are All Good People The old Hawaiian Nisei of the HH church deserve nothing but love, praise, gratitude and respect for their invaluable past and ongoing contributions to the Japanese work, and they remain an essential part of the mosaic needed to make up the Japanese work.⁽²⁴⁾ Because of this, even their nihilistic attitude toward the concept of the Japanese church they have faithfully served for decades must also be embraced as part of that mosaic. This attitude is presumably due at least partly to the sunny Hawaiian post war experience for Japanese Americans, where perhaps more than anywhere else, ethnicity does not matter much. But the influence of Mrs. Oshita’s inti-intellectual spiritual idealism must also be factored into the equation at the former Japanese church. For all their influence in the LAJC church, the Oshitas have been essentially isolationists who have never shown any interest in the Japanese work as such.⁽²⁵⁾

There is nothing wrong with this, because it is analogous to the choice a medical doctor has to make between becoming a general practitioner (GP), or a specialist, such as a cardiologist. Both practices are valid, and many more GPs are needed than cardiologists, but there must also be cardiologists. Only a foolish GP will demean a cardiologist and his practice by saying they are prejudiced against those without heart issues, and only a foolish cardiologist without self understanding will feel racked with guilt when that accusation is made, and feel compelled to become more like a GP. The Hawaiian Nisei typically lack this self understanding and commonly think they are still in a "local church," apparently because the local church in Hawaii looks much like a Japanese church on the mainland.

Pastor Albert also deserves to be embraced with love and respect as a human being and as a Christian. He has truly worked hard in the past six years, and has done his best to implement his vision. During that time, he has endured much criticism, indignities and grief, and yet through it all, he has been relentless and untiring in his efforts. The Orion Monitor salutes that tireless energy, and "never say die" attitude. But given his nihilistic attitude toward the concept of the Japanese church, the harder he works, the more destruction he will cause to the Japanese work, and the more he will come into unresolvable conflict with those who understand and value it. And given his complete denial, there is no chance that this trajectory will ever change.

inviting...

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1. This qualification is necessary, because Pastor Albert and some if not all of the Hacienda Heights elders might take issue with this statement.