Iwao Satoh - Church Is A Place Where I Feel At Home
Exploring faith journeys and inspiring ministries that embody the good news of God. This is the Cumberland Road. I'm your host, TJ Malinoski. Our faith can take us on some amazing and unimaginable journeys, and Reverend Iwao Satoh is no exception. Iwao is the senior minister at the Louisville Japanese Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Prior to the global pandemic, he was traveling monthly to Indiana, Tennessee, and Alabama to organize Japanese speaking faith communities. In our conversation, Iwao shares what it was like being a teenager and a Christian in Japan, his calling into ministry, and how important the Cumberland Presbyterian Church is to him. Join me on this conversation on Cumberland Road with Reverend Iwao Satoh.
T.J.:Iwao, thank you for joining me on today's podcast. It's an honor to have you on the show.
Iwao:Well, you're very welcome. Thank you for having me.
T.J.:Well, I like to begin our conversations, going back in time. And can you recall an early experience, an early encounter with God?
Iwao:That's a good question. And yeah, I'm trying to recall what is my earliest encounter with God. Sometimes it's a tough question, It's easier to probably answer. What is your favorite Japanese food? Yeah, something like that.
Iwao:But okay, let me try. Yeah, I mean, in my childhood I have a lot of happy memories, but my earliest memory or experience with God is probably not one of them. And I still kind of like a photograph. I can recall one shame, one memory that probably I was around four years old. I woke up in midnight and my mother reading a thick book.
Iwao:I already knew that was Bible And I felt so I did not have that word at that moment, but I felt so sacred or holy or beautiful. You know, I have to explain a little bit more, but my wife I'm sorry, my English is my mother. My mother separated from my father, and at that time I did not know, but later on I recognized she was a victim of domestic violence and she brought her children to a new city. Her friend helped her, her Krishna friend helped her to move. I still remember that in midnight we came to the new city in a small house we moved in.
Iwao:My mother said this is our new place and I had lived until I, you know, I mean, moved out of that house. It was just two rooms house and we eat, slept, and played together in that small tiny rooms. You know, after that, it was when I was three, and there was a transition and I woke up midnight often and many times I recall that my mother, sometimes she prayed and sometimes she was crying, but always she opened Bible in front of her and that was through her, I mean, I felt the holy presence was there. Of course she was so busy and she had to raise four children by herself, so she encouraged her, almost push us to go to church, go to church, local church. Yeah, come on Presbyterian church, that was.
Iwao:So yeah, there's many happy memories there. But my earliest memory was probably that kind of midnight memory. It was dark, yeah, but it was very kind of beautiful memory to me still.
T.J.:I like how you phrased it like a photograph. Your memory, your early memory is like a photograph. I really like that. I can I can visualize it? Well, let's talk about your relationship with Jesus Christ.
T.J.:You had through your mother an early example of a relationship with Christ, and she was a good example for you. Your relationship with Jesus Christ, how is it giving you purpose? How is it giving you direction in your life?
Iwao:There was probably cultural sensitivity there, but in Japan, we have only 1% of our population is Christian. So, obviously, when I went to the public elementary school, or I was baptized when I was 12 in my public middle school. When I shared that story to my friends, all of them teased me. Oh, you became followers of the foreign religion or yeah, I mean, you betrayed us or like that, but you know, church always is a to me church is a place I felt very at home connecting to the others. So, going out of church and going to the public school, I mean, all of your friends are non believers, in that circumstance, I think as a young Christian, we have to be identified ourselves as followers of Christ or abandon it, I mean, get away from that.
Iwao:There is a kind of, you know, two paths. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean it was tough situation, but still I really think that God gave me that situation to make my connection to Jesus stronger and a deeper way.
T.J.:Yeah, that must have been a tough time. Know, you're a teenager and being a teenager is tough as it is and then your closest friends can keep you at arm's length.
Iwao:Mhmm.
T.J.:But, yeah, that that community of faith can be a a place of belonging that we can't get anywhere else. It's different.
Iwao:It was. And when I graduated from high school, I decided to go to Bible College. And there I met a beautiful woman and she first taught me piano and she but, you know, I gave up my I did not have any music talent and you know, she became my life partner, so it's a happy ending to me. Yeah. And after graduating that Bible college, I worked for a company, secular company for two years and went back to seminary in Tokyo.
Iwao:Yeah.
T.J.:I was about to ask, all of this is Bible colleges in Japan and seminary in Japan?
Iwao:Yes.
T.J.:Okay. So you went back to divinity school or you went to seminary?
Iwao:That's right. That's right. And well, that probably I can briefly comment my life journey. Kinda, I can finish my story, you know, how hard I did not expect I came to United States, but after ten years of the pastoring life in Japan I pastored Sagomino Church for ten years and kind of slowly I was burned out. I don't know why, but it was a tough moment to me.
Iwao:And my wife really helped me to direct the next step, and we discussed together and talked with the leaders, elders of the Sakamino church, and they also encouraged me to study in Memphis Theological Seminary. So, yeah, they gave a sabbatical period. I was grateful for their decision and I spent one year in Memphis Theological Seminary. And there, actually, it's also the turning point of my life too, met a lot of Japanese speaking believers in Memphis, in Nashville, Knoxville area, in Kentucky, and in Mississippi and Alabama, and I figured out that there were no Japanese speaking preachers then in these states. So, I felt guilty.
Iwao:And after going back to Japan, I shared this story and experience with them. And to make the longer story short, that they decided, we decided that someone will have to take care of this situation. And they decided, they sent me to The United States side. That's how it happened. I came to The United States, moved in Louisville, Kentucky 11 Years ago.
Iwao:Wow, So, yeah, this is 2021 is my twentieth anniversary of my ordination. But it kind of amazing, yeah, journey until now.
T.J.:So the church that you served in Japan sent you back to The United States to to provide ministry to Japanese speaking Christians.
Iwao:Yes. As I said, I I made a long longer story short. And there, I'm telling you, there were a lot of arguments also in that period. Oh pastor, what are you talking about? You know, for the first time they said.
Iwao:But yeah, eventually, I mean, these elders organized a supporting committee and for ten years, it's amazing, for ten years up to now, they well, monthly they met with video conferencing. They're praying together and, you know, giving advice every month for ten years. It is still going on. So, there is a supporting committee in Japan Presbytery, Japan side. But yeah, we organized as a church in Louisville, Japanese church, as a Cumberland Presbyterian church.
Iwao:So, it's a really, I mean, we have a mutual relationship.
T.J.:Yeah. And the Louisville Cumberland Presbyterian church, Japanese speaking Cumberland Presbyterian church, was just organized three years ago?
Iwao:It's been five years, think. Six Oh wow. Yeah. 2015.
T.J.:Oh wow. Okay. I was way off.
Iwao:Yeah. Time flies. I know.
T.J.:Let let's go back in time a little bit. Let's talk about your calling in the ministry. So you were sharing you you met your wife at a Bible college. Were at that time, did you feel a call to ordain ministry, or or did that come later?
Iwao:Actually, not. That that's That's why I did not go to seminary directly after the Bible college. I needed these two years to work for a company. How can I put it? At the moment, I'm graduating to the Bible College.
Iwao:I'm kind of thinking about going to seminary directly, but my pastor challenged me. And are you really want to be a pastor, and are you really want to be a seminary? And that made me thinking, and that's actually a good question to me. And I'm just kinda, you know, I mean, I pictured my future faster in Japan. It's a tough position, right?
Iwao:And actually, at the moment I graduated from college, my wife, she was a pastor's daughter.
T.J.:Oh, okay.
Iwao:Yeah. And actually, I mean, it was interesting, I mean, so she knows in and out more than me what a pastor's life look like in Japan. And she did not encourage me at all to be a pastor. But, you know, I mean, she went to Pennsylvania to study organ, church music for two years, and when she came back we engaged and we prepared for the marriage wedding. And during that period, I mean, that was like one year and six months later I graduated from the Bible College.
Iwao:I felt still fire is burning in my heart and I did not have a peace to work for a company. And I did not have peace at all. And again, you know that all my memory of my family and that church school teacher, and it's kind of almost every night flushed back to me. And yeah, it was frustrating. I was frustrated, but also I figured out, oh, people call this calling.
Iwao:I'm called by the Lord. I just sensed. And when I talked to my wife, she agreed that that is the right path to go to the seminary. So, decided to go back to the right track again. And my pastor, you know, who challenged me, you know, that he really welcomed me.
Iwao:I mean, he encouraged me. Oh yeah, time comes, he said. Yes. So, it has, you know, I mean, challenging moment that two years but I need it. And without it probably, I mean, I was burned out as a pastor, as a minister for sure.
Iwao:But yeah, God kind of checked me. It was a precious moment when I look back.
T.J.:Well let's talk about your ministry now and today and share with me for a few minutes. You serve a church in Louisville, Kentucky, but that's not all. So share with me, there's other groups in other parts of the South for those who may not know.
Iwao:Yeah, thank you for asking me that question. So, from the beginning, we chose Louisville as a kind of base to reach out other cities. And Louisville Japanese Christian community, Before I'm coming, you know, there is a worshiping group here and they respect my thought and I mean, they understand the situation here. Lexington, Kentucky, or the Cincinnati, or Indianapolis, or Nashville, if you name the bigger cities, there are Japanese speaking worshiping groups, but almost all these groups, lay groups, well, speaking of the groups in Nashville, that sometimes are like retired missionary taking care of them. But I think I'm the only still the only Japanese native speaking preacher in state of Kentucky and in Indiana, no one there.
Iwao:And in Tennessee, no one there. So, I'm trying to reach out to these groups. So, what I did before this pandemic, until this pandemic happened, I tried to commute them monthly basis. So, like, you know, the circuit preacher of the Kampong Christian Church did in the 90s. Yeah, I'm trying to do the, not psyched, but probably they call me the like Toyota preacher or whatever they call me.
Iwao:Yeah, yeah, I'm trying, I'm on the road trying to reach out to them, yeah.
T.J.:Yeah, because prior to the pandemic, you were traveling, you were traveling Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama. Were you going anywhere else?
Iwao:Indiana police and time to time Cincinnati area, yes.
T.J.:Okay, even Ohio. Good grief. You must be changing tires all the time. Yes.
Iwao:And yeah, I'm replacing engine oil by myself every two months. So,
T.J.:you know, we've been in a pandemic for over a year now, and that obviously has changed the way that you are doing ministry. So what does ministry look like for you now and for the groups that are geographically kind of spread throughout, well, the North and the Southern Part of The United States? What are you doing and what challenges are you facing?
Iwao:Right, so that, you know, pandemic hit our ministry and well, last March we closed, we stopped all the ministries in person. And it really affected all of my gathering and I could not do anything. I just gave up for the first three months, a couple of months at least. But after that, I tried to reach out, I called them to find a way, and I started online gathering by using Zoom. So, like I went down to Maryville, Knoxville area, Tennessee monthly, and I started to organize an online gathering with them.
Iwao:But two months later, it's expanded. I mean, the people start to log in from other places, from Nashville, from Memphis, from Huntsville, Alabama, from Detroit, Michigan, and from Indianapolis, sometimes from even Chicago. And now, you know, we continually keep that online gathering going still now, and, you know, our facilitator joining from Michigan. And the worship leader, he's a good guitarist. He's joining, leading our worship songs from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Iwao:And I'm preaching from Louisville. Wow. Yeah, it's amazing, really. I did not expect this gathering and I'm just broadcasting from my living room.
T.J.:That is amazing.
Iwao:It is.
T.J.:I I know we were talking a little bit about it before we started recording, but I just wanted you to share that again just so folks can know that even in the midst of a pandemic, we can adapt and have adapted for worship so that we can continue to glorify God. And what you were sharing with me, thought was amazing. Wanted you to share it again.
Iwao:Yes. I mean, this is really a new venue, I mean, to connect all of them at once. And, you know, I'm commuting to the different places, each places, different timings, so they did not connect each other, but this was the online gathering at large, in large area. It's a good way to communicate. They knew that, oh, there is a Japanese speaking community and Christians in Knoxville, in Memphis, in Huntsville, Alabama.
Iwao:And they, you know, start to connect interactively. It's fascinating. So, the pandemic was really a challenge. It's a sad thing. I mean, we lost a couple of our senior members by the COVID-nineteen, but we see it as a kind of new venue, new path, and a new blessing as well to connect each other.
Iwao:Yes.
T.J.:Well, let's talk about the the church that we are a part of. And looking forward into the future, what wow. What dreams do you have for the church that we serve? The church that we are called to be a part of?
Iwao:That's also, you know, good question. Also, I mean, a question I Kind of after the pandemic, I reflect to myself, I mean, I asked myself the same question. And I feel how can I put it? The Cameron Presbyterian Church is a very colorful church. It has a diversity and unity as well in it.
Iwao:It's a very family oriented Christian community to me. I know almost all the faces, the pastors of the old areas, and not many denominations, I think, have the same experience. And I see that, you know, I'm just picturing that the first day of the Pentecost, the church, the faith community started as a colorful community. They spoke different languages. They came from different areas.
Iwao:So, it's a starting point. But also I feel like it's giving us the future vision and the future picture of our church. So, yeah, I mean, I'm a member of the hosting community of this coming general assembly. And probably, unfortunately, this time global presbytery cannot attend due to the limitation of international travel. But also, I think that God is giving us the new way, and I heard that GA office started to think about the possibility of connecting online.
Iwao:So, this is a fascinating way too, and we can connect congregant churches in Asia, in South America, in Europe at the same time. I mean, that is giving me the picture of the future church. I do not know, you know, how we can organize that. I mean, I heard recently a good word. There is a creative chaos sometimes God giving us.
Iwao:And so, I cannot say, I cannot define the common Presbyterian church in the future, but to me it's okay, I mean, step by step we can go ahead to probably the global faith community like people experienced in the day of the Pentecost.
T.J.:Yeah. Yeah. I like what you said. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church is a very colorful church. I thought that was great.
T.J.:Yeah. And we can be the church of Pentecost for sure. Well, Ewow, you are a very busy man. And prior to the pandemic, you were always on the road. But for those who are listening to the podcast, how can we continue to follow you on your faith journey?
T.J.:Do you have a Facebook page? What's going on to where people can reach out to you and keep up with the ministry that you're a part of?
Iwao:Yeah, I'm on the Facebook and you know, I'm happy to show up anywhere. And I'm looking forward to seeing all the commissioners in General Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky. That is the first step I can connect after the pandemic. And yeah, I really want to connect other leaders and other pastors, so.
T.J.:Well, sounds great. All right, look for Iwao at General Assembly. He will be looking for you and his desire to connect with you. Iwao, thank you for your time and sharing your faith journey.
Iwao:Thank you for having me again, and it's my honor and I enjoyed this. And I really I'm saying that I want to tell that this project is fascinating. I really enjoy listening to the faith journey of the others. Thank you.
T.J.:Well, thank you. Thank you so much. I don't do real well with compliments, but thank you, Iwao. And thank you for listening to today's podcast. Grab a friend and travel with us on our next journey down Cumberland Road.
