Following the Spring Grand Service on January 26, the Shinbashira made an announcement as to how the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama should be conducted. The announcement was made at a meeting of Church Headquarters resident staff members, head ministers of directly supervised churches, and diocese superintendents.
He said that the Service for the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama will be conducted only on January 26, 2006, without setting an anniversary period.
Yet, the Shinbashira went on to say: “I would like us to consider the entire year of Tenrikyo 169 to be the year of the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama. Though we normally conduct monthly services in remembrance of the Teaching’s day of origin, that year’s monthly services, except the Autumn Grand Service, will be conducted in remembrance of January 26, 1887.”
The Shinbashira made clear, however, that those monthly services would not be conducted as anniversary services, following the precedent of the 110th Anniversary of Oyasama.
The Shinbashira then expressed his wish that the year of the 120th Anniversary of Oyasama would be a year when churches and individual followers show Oyasama how much progress they have made in their spiritual growth.