About Us

Rev. Kiyo Kuwahara

Rev. Kuwahara (he/him) has served as the supervising minister of the Buddhist Temple of Marin since December 2020, while also supporting the Berkeley Buddhist Temple. In addition to his temple leadership, he is the program director for the Jodo Shinshu International Office. Previously, he co-directed the BCA Center for Buddhist Education and taught as adjunct faculty at the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS). Earlier in his career, he worked with the Hongwanji office as a program director and staff member.

Rev. Kuwahara earned his BA in English Education from Hiroshima University and an MA in Jodo Shinshu Studies from both the IBS and Ryukoku University. He has also completed doctoral coursework at Ryukoku. Born the eldest son of a temple family in Kure City, Hiroshima, he now makes his home in the U.S. with his wife and their three sons.

Rev. CJ Dunford

Born and raised in southwestern Virginia, CJ (they/them) moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2007 and soon found a spiritual home at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple (BBT). After becoming a member in 2015, CJ became actively involved in the TechnoBuddha conference and BBT’s community outreach committee. Through this work, they developed a deep connection to the Jodo Shinshu teachings and felt called to pursue the path of ministry.

In 2016, CJ began graduate studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) and the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley. They received Tokudo ordination in the summer of 2019 and spent a year abroad at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, where they forged lasting friendships with students from Japan and around the world. Returning to the U.S., CJ completed an MA in Buddhist Studies and a certificate in Buddhist Chaplaincy at IBS and GTU. Their thesis, Radical Acceptance as a Shin Buddhist Theology of Liberation for LGBTQ+ Peoples, reflects their commitment to making Shin Buddhist teachings a source of healing and empowerment.

CJ currently serves as a minister’s assistant at BBT and a Tokudo minister at the Buddhist Temple of Marin. In fall 2021, they will begin the Doctor of Ministry program at the Pacific School of Religion, building on their research to create practical Shin Buddhist frameworks of spiritual care for LGBTQ+ communities. Their vision is to support both temple-based sanghas and smaller LGBTQ+-focused healing and support groups.

As part of their temple work, CJ has also helped organize annual Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial services at BBT. Their journey and research have been featured in interviews with the Institute of Buddhist Studies, where they share their experience of finding Buddhism and living its teachings.