Honbu-in Tadamasa Fukaya, a former Bishop of Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters in America, passed away for rebirth on April 11. He was 94. The memorial service was performed on the 14th at Yamatoyoki Branch Church’s Followers Dormitory, with the Shinbashira presiding.
Rev. Fukaya was born on December 12, 1912, and was a graduate of Kyoto University. He received the truth of the Sazuke on February 28, 1930. He was appointed as Honbu-seinen as well as a board member at Kawaramachi Grand Church in 1943. He became an instructor at Tenri Graduate Seminary in 1948 while working at the Department of Doctrine and Historical Materials. In 1949, he became an instructor at Tenri University and was appointed as director of the Tenrikyo Division of the Institute of Religious Culture of Tenri University. He became an assistant professor at Tenri University and the chairman of the Young Men’s Association Headquarters in 1951. He took over the president’s position at Doyusha Publishing Company and became a member of the Executive Board in 1952. He became the first head minister of Yamatoyoki Branch Church in 1953. He was appointed as Besseki Lecturer in 1955. The following year, he became Honbu-jun’in and a professor at Tenri University. He was made the head of the Research Section of the Administrative Affairs Department in 1958. He was appointed as the Bishop of the Mission Headquarters in America in 1959. He became the head of the Religious Guidance Department at Ikoi-no-Ie Hospital in 1965. He was made Honbu-in in 1970. He served as a member of the Steering Committee for the 90th Anniversary of Oyasama from 1972. He became a member of the Board of Directors of Tenri Seminary Corporation in 1974. He was a member of the Steering Committee for the Centennial Anniversary from 1981. He then headed the Counseling Section from 1984. In 1994, he became a professor emeritus at Tenri University.
Over the years, he also served as counselor to nine directly supervised churches, namely, Oe, Shiroha, Hosokawa, Yamatoyoki, Yamatomiyuki, Yamatotensei, Owari, Hizan, and North America. He also served as diocese counselor for Yamanashi as well as Nagano.