Pastor Ben-K and his wife Yuriko
Pastor Ben Kagiwada of SBJCF
Welcome to South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship's website. I am Pastor Ben Kagiwada or Ben-K. My full Japanese name is Tetsuo Ben Kagiwada but many call me Pastor Ben-K.
I was raised by my mother who was a faithful Christian (now a Pastor), and I believed in Christ when I was 5 years old and was baptized when I was 6 years old. I came to Christ in a very young age, but there was nothing really special about me. After graduating Junior High, I went straight to the Japanese Air Force and there I was tempted, and unfortunately left the Church. It wasn't that I denounced God or doubted His existence, nor was I critical of the Church, but everything in this world seemed so fun and interesting and they lured me away from the Church.
However when I turned 18 something changed my life. At the time I was a heavy smoker and since I was in a rugby team, I tried to kick the habit so many times but failed to do so. I didn't think anything of it at first, but one day, I thought to myself "If I can't win against the temptation of a single cigarette, how can I win against any other temptations? If this goes on, I wouldn't be able to overcome any obstacles or temptations in life. Then wouldn't my life end in total defeat?" At that time I was stationed in Hamamatsu city in Shizuoka prefecture, but a Christian friend in Tokyo invited me to visit him. I had no reason to say no, so I decided to visit him during the weekend. On that Sunday, I attended Sunday service for the first time in three years. That morning, the message God spoke to me clearly gave me an answer to the struggles I've had in my life. That day, God made me realize that He was calling me back all this time, and I decided to rededicate my life and to obey God once again.
Soon after, I was chosen to enter the Pilot course within the Air Force and was stationed at Bofu city in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The first thing I did was to look for a Church I can attend and so I started attending Bofu Baptist Church. I was able to serve God as a Sunday school teacher at my Church, and at the same time I was enjoying my life as a student pilot since it has been my dream to become a pilot ever since I joined the Air Force.
However, one Sunday God spoke to me through the worship service, to "give up everything for me and become a Pastor for my sheep". Of course, I spoke back telling God, "Lord, please. You know that it has been my dream to become a pilot and I am almost there!" However, this feeling God gave me did not go away, and by the end of the service I was able to say "Lord, I will do as you command." The very next day, I turned in my resignation letter and after two weeks I was discharged and started studying to become a Pastor.
After that, I graduated from a Seminary School in Ibaraki Prefecture and started to Minister as an Associate Pastor at a Church in Osaka Prefecture, then Tochigi Prefecture, then at Orange County, California. I was called back to the Church in Ibaraki prefecture where I served for 9 years, moved to California again and served at San Fernando Valley Holiness Church for 12 years, and since 2009, I have been called to serve at our current Church.
Welcome to South Bay Japanese Christian Fellowship's website. I am Pastor Ben Kagiwada or Ben-K. My full Japanese name is Tetsuo Ben Kagiwada but many call me Pastor Ben-K.
I was raised by my mother who was a faithful Christian (now a Pastor), and I believed in Christ when I was 5 years old and was baptized when I was 6 years old. I came to Christ in a very young age, but there was nothing really special about me. After graduating Junior High, I went straight to the Japanese Air Force and there I was tempted, and unfortunately left the Church. It wasn't that I denounced God or doubted His existence, nor was I critical of the Church, but everything in this world seemed so fun and interesting and they lured me away from the Church.
However when I turned 18 something changed my life. At the time I was a heavy smoker and since I was in a rugby team, I tried to kick the habit so many times but failed to do so. I didn't think anything of it at first, but one day, I thought to myself "If I can't win against the temptation of a single cigarette, how can I win against any other temptations? If this goes on, I wouldn't be able to overcome any obstacles or temptations in life. Then wouldn't my life end in total defeat?" At that time I was stationed in Hamamatsu city in Shizuoka prefecture, but a Christian friend in Tokyo invited me to visit him. I had no reason to say no, so I decided to visit him during the weekend. On that Sunday, I attended Sunday service for the first time in three years. That morning, the message God spoke to me clearly gave me an answer to the struggles I've had in my life. That day, God made me realize that He was calling me back all this time, and I decided to rededicate my life and to obey God once again.
Soon after, I was chosen to enter the Pilot course within the Air Force and was stationed at Bofu city in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The first thing I did was to look for a Church I can attend and so I started attending Bofu Baptist Church. I was able to serve God as a Sunday school teacher at my Church, and at the same time I was enjoying my life as a student pilot since it has been my dream to become a pilot ever since I joined the Air Force.
However, one Sunday God spoke to me through the worship service, to "give up everything for me and become a Pastor for my sheep". Of course, I spoke back telling God, "Lord, please. You know that it has been my dream to become a pilot and I am almost there!" However, this feeling God gave me did not go away, and by the end of the service I was able to say "Lord, I will do as you command." The very next day, I turned in my resignation letter and after two weeks I was discharged and started studying to become a Pastor.
After that, I graduated from a Seminary School in Ibaraki Prefecture and started to Minister as an Associate Pastor at a Church in Osaka Prefecture, then Tochigi Prefecture, then at Orange County, California. I was called back to the Church in Ibaraki prefecture where I served for 9 years, moved to California again and served at San Fernando Valley Holiness Church for 12 years, and since 2009, I have been called to serve at our current Church.