On September 28, 2011, the Konko Church of Lancaster was established, receiving official approval from Spiritual Leader of Konkokyo. The opening ceremony will be celebrated on July 29, 2012.
Reverend Yoshiko Ota, the Head Minister of the new Konko Church of Lancaster, said, "I was born after the war. My mother was not in the best of health and people around her were opposed to her giving birth to me. She prayed to Kami to watch over me, if she were not able to do so, after my birth. I was born prematurely. As a result, from the very beginning, my physical condition was weak. As I grew older, I suffered a variety of illnesses, but as I endured them, I have learned that the more I serve and work for Kami, the more I was blessed with energy for life.
"Six years ago we moved from Garden Glove to Lancaster because of my husband's job. When we bought our new home, we strongly felt that Kami was behind us, supporting us and allowing us to live in this house. The day we moved in, we set up the Kami altar in the best room in the house. This became the worship hall.
"On January 25, 2007, we were authorized to open a propagation hall. Since then, we have come to believe that we need to make a stronger, dedicated effort to spread our faith. We felt we needed to build a new church."
Now, Reverend Ota strongly desires to work to realize Kami's Wish. She expressed her aspiration, "We hope to convey our Founder's teachings to as many people as we can."

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