Happy New Year!

新年明けましておめでとうございます。

Shinnen akemashite omedetoh gozaimasu.

As I wrote in my December 2025 article, the start of 2026 allows us to leave behind all that happened in the first half of the 2020s and to step forward into the latter half of the 2020 decade with new hope and optimism for the possibilities that lie before us.

I often dabble in the Chinese zodiac at this time of year. It is fun to see what the Chinese zodiac says about the world around us and what a new lunar year will bring. 

As we begin 2026, we are ending the Lunar Year of the Snake — a year that is said to be one of quiet transformation. I reflect on whether that has been true for the past year for the BCA. 

It also happens that the Lunar New Year calendar welcomes the Year of the Fire Horse on Feb. 17, just after we complete our 2026 National Council Meeting in Renton, Washington. It seems fitting that the Lunar New Year change coincides with the ending of my term as BCA President and the beginning of a new Executive Committee for the BCA. 

In this new Year of the Fire Horse, we will be welcoming our new BCA President, Glenn Inanaga, from the Orange County Buddhist Church. 

The Year of the Fire Horse is one where we are invited to move forward boldly; not impulsively, but with clarity and conviction. It can be said that the year will bring momentum to the decisions that we have been putting in place, aligning to the opportunities that we have been looking forward to and breakthroughs in areas that once we felt stuck. We look forward to seeing if these predictions bear any fruit in 2026.

Initiating a Formal Lay Leadership Development Program in 2026

Do you seek to be a better communicator? Are you troubled when dealing with difficult conversations? Do you struggle with decision-making, delegating and elevating your emotional intelligence? 

If any of these issues resonate with you, you might be a perfect candidate to be included in a cohort of individuals seeking to be better leaders. 

BCA is announcing a program to provide a formal program in leadership development. The benefits are immense and it just takes you to step forward and raise your hand to be one of the individuals to be vetted for this lay leadership development program. The teachings from this six-to-seven-month program will offer new ways to create greater impact in your workplace, at your temple or church, and in your personal life. 

The program is sponsored by the Dharma Forward campaign, the Executive Committee’s Education Fund and a sponsoring temple or church, or BCA organization. 

The program will be in collaboration with LEAP.org, a nonprofit based in Los Angeles with a 43-year history of bringing programs for leadership development to those involved in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. (bit.ly/4at1vSm)

Your commitment of time and effort will be what makes the program successful for you, BCA and the sponsoring temple or church, or BCA organization.

Reach out by completing the Google form at: http://bit.ly/4s9d1sn

When the program was presented at the December 2025 National Board Meeting, the participants responded to a survey with the following responses:

• Two-thirds of the participants were supportive of a formal lay leadership program.

• Two-thirds of the participants agreed that the program is a long-term investment in the future success of the BCA and local temples and churches.

• 44% of the participants wanted to have more information about the program.

I hope that readers will find the information in this article valuable. Specific details about the leadership development program can be accessed at the following link: http://bit.ly/4aLltrJ

More information about the program, with an opportunity for questions and answers, will be presented in the National Council Meeting (NCM) virtual workshop series on Saturday, Feb. 7.

“Investing in Lay Leadership Development” is the first workshop in “Track 2: Buddhist Education and Skills Development,” which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. PST.

The virtual NCM workshops are all open to the public. Information on all 12 virtual workshops across the four tracks together with Zoom links and times will be published separately. Please keep your eyes out for this upcoming information.

Looking Forward to 2026

BCA’s theme for 2026 is “Realizing Our Interconnectedness.”  It is with this understanding of the interconnections that bring us together as one Sangha that we see great opportunities for our future. 

The Dharma Forward campaign proved what we can do when we value those interconnections and step forward together — the future is bright for the Dharma in 2026 and beyond.