Ministerial Team

The Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara is supervised by Rev. Blake Honda, the resident minister of Oxnard Buddhist Temple. A graduate of California State University, Fresno and the Institute of Buddhist Studies, Rev. Honda brings to our sangha extensive training in Shin Buddhist doctrine and ritual as well as experience in the corporate and non-profit sectors including work as a behavioral therapist for children with autism. 

Rev. JP deGuzman is BCSB’s minister’s assistant and leads monthly services and study discussions. He also manages the temple’s online presence and handles educational inquiries from students and the public. 

We are additionally grateful to our lay leaders who stepped in to conduct rituals, offer Dharma reflections, and hold services in the absence of a minister.

This image of Shinran Shonin (1173-1263), the father of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, was drawn by our former minister, the late Rev. Masanori Watanabe who served our temple from 2013 to 2021, 

REsident and SUPERVISING MINISTERS, 1924 – present

Pre-WAR Resident Ministers

Rev. Zenki Toyota

Rev. Tairyo Sawada

Rev. Keiya Yamaguchi

Rev. Reichi Mori

Rev. Hideo Shimakawa

Rev. Taiken Masunaga (supervised from Oxnard Buddhist Temple)

Post-War Resident Ministers

Rev. Keisho Motoyama

Rev. Gimyo Takemura

Rev. Jotetsu Ono

Rev. Ryotetsu Kazumata

Rev. Seiko Okahashi

Rev. Shawshew Sakow

Rev. Nobuo Miyaji

Rev. Tomonori Ouchi

Supervising Ministers

Rev. Masami Fujitani

Rev. Jim Yanagihara

Rev. Kakei Nakagawa

Rev. Katsumi Ueda

Rev. Henry Adams

Rev. Masanori Watanabe

Rev. Fumiaki Usuki

Rev. Ryuta Furumoto

Rev. Blake Honda