The Eighth Leadership Training Seminar Held
Theme includes Harmony with Nature and Propagation
The Eighth Leadership Training Seminar was held from May 21 to 23 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles and was attended by 45 leaders from across North America.
The Leadership Training Seminar is held with the objective of developing leaders under the sponsorship of the International Spiritual Training Center. This time, the study was about how to promote the “Movement that Grows with Nature” on the basis of last year’s Special Conference for World Peace held in Brazil.
The lecturers were Rev. Yoshiko Teshigawara (Ordained Minister, Chairperson of the International Spiritual Training Center), Rev. Mario Kawakami (Ordained Minister, Chief of Southern California Missionary Area), Rev. Masayo Tsuruta (Ordained Minister, Chief of Northern California Missionary Area), Rev. Bruce Mallery (Ordained Minister, Chief of New York Missionary Area), Rev. Tomio Otsuka (United States Missionary Headquarters), Rev. Toshiro Kobayashi (Ordained Minister, Chief of Toronto Missionary Area) and Rev. Hideki Takao (Assistant Minister, International Spiritual Training Center). In addition, Rev. Tatsufumi Yukishima (Ordained Minister, Chief of the International Department) and Rev. Toshiko May (Ordained Minister, Chief of North American Section, International Department) lectured from the International Headquarters, using a Web camera, on the titles of “Development of the ‘Movement that Grows with Nature’ on a Global Scale” and “Internet as a Propagation Tool,” respectively. This was the first time that a Web camera was used at the International Spiritual Training Center.
The program of the Seminar also included a panel discussion by leaders of different areas on propagation activities and the holding of Readers’ Meetings; case presentation that included a skit on the theme of propagation promotion; a workshop on picture envelope creation using the image of a class where Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, is guiding picture envelope creation. The program was designed to foster a deeper understanding of the teaching and the Movement and help improve the attendees’ propagation skills.
Comments received from the attendees included: “I would like to bring back to my Missionary Area what I learned at this Seminar and try it out”; and “I was moved by the fact that we human beings are part of nature.”
On the use of a Web camera and the Internet, the attendees from Hawaii, which has many islands, and other Missionary Areas commented that they would like to actively use them to promote propagation after this Seminar.
Remarks by Rev. Yoshiko Teshigawara, Chairperson of International Spiritual Training Center
“In each workshop our ingenuity helped to unite the lecturers and attendees as one. Through the Seminar they got an actual sense of the joy of seeking the truth while propagating. During the picture envelope workshop, the attendees’ artistic sensibility was brought out. We received guidance directly from the International Headquarters, using a Web camera. This was well received as an epoch-making program. I would like to continue to improve the International Spiritual Training Seminars by using the Internet and other vehicles and further the “Movement that Grows with Nature.”