About our Ministers

Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara - Supervising Minister

Rev. Kuwahara, the oldest son of a temple family in Kure City, Hiroshima, has been supervising minister of the Berkeley Buddhist Temple since January 2018. Rev. Kuwahara brings a positive and caring sense of enthusiasm and thoughtful, scholarly knowledge of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism.

Rev. Kuwahara has also served as: co-director of the BCA Center for Buddhist Education; coordinator for both the Jodo Shinshu Correspondence Course and the International Ministerial Orientation Program in the Hongwanji Office of the BCA Jodo Shinshu Center; and in the International Department of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha.

He has a master’s degree in Jodo Shinshu studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies, completed the Ph.D. program in Jodo Shinshu studies from Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan, a master’s degree in Jodo Shinshu studies from Ryukoku University, and a bachelor’s degree inEnglish education from Hiroshima University.

Rev. Kuwahara is married to his wife, Hitomi. They are the parents of three sons: Takato, Eight and Hiroto.

His favorite foods are American foods – including potato chips, pizza, hamburgers, and French fries!

Rev. CJ Dunford (they/them/theirs) - Assistant Minister

Rev. CJ was born and raised in southwestern Virginia, but moved to the SF Bay Area in 2007. They have been part of the Jōdo Shinshū and other Buddhist communities since 2014. Receiving ordination from our mother temple, Hongwanji in Kyoto, in 2019 as well as Dharma teacher certification in 2022, they have also earned an MA in Buddhist Studies and Certificate of Buddhist Chaplaincy from the Institute of Buddhist Studies and Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley in 2020 along with a Doctor of Ministry from the Pacific School of Religion in 2025. The title of their MA thesis is: "Radical Acceptance as a Shin Buddhist Theology of Liberation for LGBTQ+ Peoples,” and their DMin capstone portfolio is entitled: “Building the Pure Land: an Anti-Imperialist Project for Jōdo Shinshū Buddhists.” Rev. CJ has also served as minister at the Buddhist Temple of Marin since 2020 and at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple since 2023 and has taught as an adjunct professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies since 2023.

As part of their work in the temple, Rev. CJ has helped to organize our annual Transgender Day of Remembrance memorial services for BBT. You can also read more about Rev. CJ's research at the Institute of Buddhist Studies and their experience in finding Buddhism in an interview with Institute of Buddhist Studies staff Gesshin Claire Greenwood here: https://www.shin-ibs.edu/meet-rev-cj-dunford/

Photography by The Visual Iza