Gedatsu History
Founded by Gedatsu Kongo
The Gedatsu Church has its roots in Japan, where it was established in 1929 by Founder Gedatsu Kongo, following the awakening of his religious consciousness at the age of 48. Gedatsu Kongo established the Gedatsu faith to embrace a nonsectarian spiritual philosophy, which advocated the practical application of religious principles to promote the happiness and welfare of all people. Gedatsu is strongly influenced by Shugendo, an ancient Japanese tradition derived from Shintoism, Buddhism and other native spiritual practices, whose nonsectarian, inclusive characteristics appealed to the Founder and reflected his religious philosophy and spirit.
The establishment and propagation of Gedatsu in America are primarily attributed to the pioneering efforts of two dedicated disciples of Gedatsu Kongo: Kenyu Kiyota and Eizan Kishida.
Gedatsu Teachings in America
Kiyota, who left her native Japan to immigrate to America when she was 18, was introduced to Gedatsu when she met the Founder during a visit to Japan in 1937. Kiyota studied intensively under the Founder and, within a year, was instructed by him to return to America to propagate the Gedatsu teaching. During World War II, while confined in a California concentration camp like thousands of others of Japanese ancestry, Kiyota propagated the Gedatsu teaching among other internees. After the war, Kiyota – affectionately called Mother Kiyota by her followers – continued to teach Gedatsu, primarily among fellow internees who returned to their homes in San Francisco and Sacramento.
First Gedatsu Church of America Founded
Following the death of Gedatsu Kongo in 1948, Mother Kiyota persuaded Eizan Kishida, who was then in charge of the Gedatsu Church in Japan, to come to the United States to join her in propagating Gedatsu. Thus, in 1950, at the age of 45, Kishida left Japan for San Francisco, where, in a rented room in Japanese Town, he established the first Gedatsu Church in America. That same year, in a corner of Sacramento farmland owned by Gedatsu members, a small shrine was erected to the Universal Life Force, and, in appreciation, the first Grand Festival was celebrated, thereafter becoming a bi-annual event. Members subsequently donated the land and constructed a church building, establishing their Sacramento church on “holy grounds.”
In the early 1950s, Kishida, conferred with the title of bishop, and Mother Kiyota began commuting regularly to Los Angeles, where Gedatsu followers opened their homes for gatherings. Meetings and services were now held regularly at Gedatsu church facilities and members’ homes throughout northern California and the Los Angeles area.
Over the ensuing decades, the Gedatsu Church grew under the propagation of Bishop Kishida, Mother Kiyota and a succession of ministers from the Gedatsu Church in Japan, as well as several American-born ministers. To accommodate the growing congregation, spacious new church buildings were built in Sacramento and Los Angeles. In addition, many of the Gedatsu services, practices and ceremonies observed in Japan became part of the American churches, but, at the same time, were adapted to meet the needs of a younger, English-speaking congregation.
Gedatsu Church USA continues to evolve from its cultural, religious and generational roots. Its members are largely diverse – from all walks of life, multiple generations and of different cultural backgrounds and varied religious beliefs. Today, Founder Gedatsu Kongo’s universal message of harmony, oneness and interdependence remains relevant and more compelling than ever before.