Please Take Quick Survey on Why You Attend a BCA Temple

What draws individuals to our temples?

The future vibrancy of our BCA sanghas rests on understanding why newcomers and old-timers alike choose to walk through the doors of our temples and churches. There has been lots of discussion on this topic as the BCA and each of our local temples grapple with the specter of decreasing memberships but also the hope and benefits that the Dharma can bring into our everyday lives.

In this month’s President’s message, I would like to explore this topic and encourage your participation in the discussion through a quick survey. The survey is anonymous and multiple choice which should take no more than three minutes to complete. I ask that you identify your temple or church and if you are not affiliated with a temple or church, to mark the box indicating so. 

Here is the link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9MFXMNX

I look forward to summarizing the results in a future column.

Meeting and sharing in discussions with District councils and temple Sanghas has provided wonderful insights into the diversity of our BCA sanghas. I can truly say that no two temples are alike. Yet we all share in the Buddha-Dharma that binds us together as one Sangha. 

We also share in our 125-year history filled with the richness of individual narratives of struggle, loss, economic challenges, social and civil injustice. The richness is not the acceptance of those difficult conditions but how our predecessors met those difficult conditions and overcame them to create what we see today as the Buddhist Churches of America. 

It is also about each of us who are facing many of those same challenges today. It is about each of our journeys to find meaning and resonance in the Nembutsu teachings so that we can live with gratitude and appreciation while finding equanimity in our lives in these chaotic times.

Despite the differences, there are many common themes that draw us through the doors of our temples and churches. I spoke recently with individuals from the New York Buddhist Church Sangha. Finding a welcoming home that celebrates diversity was strongly messaged with me. 

If we can broadly and effectively communicate beyond the temple walls our message of “Come as you are,” there is enormous potential for many more to find Shin Buddhism. There is a deep need for our Shin Buddhist teachings to address the ups and downs of our karmic lives.

Sharing time with former BCA President Dr. Gordon Bermant at the Seabrook Buddhist Temple also brought forth the message that the Dharma is another reason people seek to walk through our temple doors. 

It was an opportunity to share experiences about being BCA President, albeit separated by more than two decades. The sanghas have changed in that time. The simple yet powerful resonance of our Shin Buddhist teachings have attracted many who have crossed over from other faiths. 

Our temples and churches have offered a welcoming respite from other communities that exclude and “other” those who seek to belong. Sharing in the efforts to put together community events such as the Obon festival offered a first contact with our Shin Buddhist community and one they found so welcoming in the Seabrook, New Jersey area.

On a recent Sunday at the Buddhist Church of Oakland (BCO), the Sunday greeters welcomed a new individual to Sunday service. As a Zen practitioner, he could not see how his 5-year-old son could sit through a zazen meditation session. 

At the BCO, he was able to see and experience Dharma School and how it might open new opportunities for his son to begin to participate in a Dharma journey.

Our Dharma schools are a magnet for young families seeking to have their children grow and learn about Buddhism. Dedicated teachers, fun activities and a critical mass of children are important factors in supporting the vibrancy of our Dharma schools. 

Where temples lack the numbers of children and youth, it is critically important to reach out and seek assistance from other district temples or from the Federation of Dharma School Teachers’ League (FDSTL) to find ways to generate interest and put together a program to promote this valuable offering of our Shin Buddhist temples.

Many come to our temples to also “pay it forward.” As practicing Buddhists, our desire to reach out to our communities and to share compassion to others who may not be as fortunate is a driver to get involved. 

Fundraisers and volunteer activities that support seniors, food banks, homeless shelters and children in need of basic human needs are many of the efforts that bring those interested in making a social impact to our temples and churches. 

These efforts are further supported by the BCA’s Social Welfare Committee that can match donations at the local temple and district level.

The Executive Committee recently approved the recommendations from the Social Welfare Committee (SWC) for the matching grants from the Northwest District for $3,000 to the Auburn, Washington, Food Bank, doubling the size of the donation to $6,000. 

The SWC also doubled the Bay District Jr. YBA’s donation of $2,995 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank to $5,990, and gave a disaster relief grant of $5,000 to Doctors Without Borders for relief efforts for the 7.7-magnitude Myanmar earthquake on March 28.

Other reasons for newcomers and old-timers to come through our temple doors is the variety of activities that promote community. From senior gatherings to Scouting, to taiko and other Japanese arts and martial arts, youth basketball, pickleball, golf, yoga and Dharma learning, it is the social aspects of gathering that drives many to participate. All it takes is the commitment of Sangha members to make it happen.

Our Shin Buddhist communities come together because of all these reasons. However, it is within the context of the Dharma that all this can happen. Therefore, as we contemplate who are engaged and involved in our temple sanghas, why would we only see those who make a “membership” payment as the criterion for being a member? 

As I wrote in my October 2024 Wheel of Dharma President’s message, let’s begin to redefine “member.” I would encourage temples to include those who offer support and maintain the operations of the temple either monetarily (in whatever amount) or through their volunteer efforts.  

In developing a database of “engaged Sangha participants,” we can see the broader participation of who are supporting our temples and churches. 

Needless to say, whatever data that is collected (names, addresses, contact information, etc.) should be an opt-in condition. Sharing this information will only allow greater flow of information and communication with all who participate in our temples and churches, allowing a broader spectrum of our communities to know about other learning opportunities through the Center for Buddhist Education (CBE); new books and offerings through the Jodo Shinshu International Office (JSIO); and activities and successes of the many organizations, committees and individuals who make up the BCA Sangha.

If the obstacle for taking this new approach to defining “Who is a BCA member?” is the connection to temple dues assessments, this will be a non-issue going forward when the membership census can be decoupled from temple dues. In a future President’s message I will provide new approaches that the BCA is seeking to support the BCA annual budget. Stay tuned.

Please take the time to complete the survey that I provided the link earlier in this article. We all need to find how best we can make our temples and churches a place where newcomers and old-timers alike walk confidently through our doors to a welcoming Sangha.

Thank you for your participation!