Next President Professor Motoaki Shinohara, The First TCU Graduate and Youngest President

August 1, 2024

“Overcoming crises as One Team and building an even more Attractive TCU”

Tokyo Christian University has appointed Professor Motoaki Shinohara as its next President at the July 23, 2024 Board meeting.  His term of office will begin on August 1, 2024 and last for four years.

President Motoaki Shinohara graduated from TCU in 1998 and is the first graduate to be the president. He is 48 years old and the youngest president ever appointed to this position.

The management team, which has already been appointed, includes Shinichi Hirohashi as the Board Chairperson, Professor / Provost Mieko Iwata as the Vice President, Professor Naoki Okamura as the Dean of the Graduate School of Theology, and Keita Omachi as the General Manager.

With significantly rejuvenated leadership, TCU aims to rebuild the challenging financial situation and student recruitment. The board members, faculty, and staff will work as One Team to reform TCU through a cooperative system of top-down and bottom-up management and speedy decision-making.

Based on the concept of “Stand in the Gap: Christ’s Peace in Broken Places”, TCU also aims to become a university that attracts students from all over the world with diverse visions of “serving the church and society” and who aspire to serve the Lord in Japan.

Profile of Motoaki Shinohara, New President

Born on October 11, 1975 (age 48)
Church Membership:  Tatebayashi Christ Church (Evangelical Mission Church of Japan)
Attending Church: Yachiyo Bible Church (Japan Alliance Christ Church)

Graduated from Tokyo Christian University, International Christian Studies Department. After working for Japan International Food for the Hungry (Hunger Zero), he studied at the Kyoritsu Training Center at Kyoritsu Christian Research Institute, and completed the Master of Theology Program (Th.M. in Systematic Theology) at Calvin Theological Seminary, USA, and the Doctoral Program (Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His area of focus is Missiology.  He is currently a professor at Tokyo Christian University. He teaches courses such as “Missiology,” “Mission and Church in Our Time,” “Christianity and Culture,” “Intercultural Communication” and “Peace Studies.” 

 [Articles] “Mission and the Church: In the Light of the History of 20th Century Mission Thought” (Gospel and the World, December, 2015), “Theological Education from a Missiological Perspective: Some Initial Observations” (Evangelical Theology, No. 50, 2019). [Translation Supervisor] Timothy Keller, Center Church (Inochi no Kotoba, 2022).

Member of the Theological Committee of the Japan Evangelical Alliance (JEA) (until March 2023), Board Member of Japan International Food for the Hungry, Member of the Japan Lausanne Committee, Scribe of the ATA/J (Asian Theological Association in Japan), Editorial member of The Journal of the Japan Missiological Society, Japan Missiological Society.

Positions at TCU

Dr. Motoaki Shinohara became an Assistant Professor in 2013, Associate Professor in 2017, and Professor in 2022. He has served as Men's dormitory director, Dean of Student Affairs, and Director of the Faith and Culture Center.

Background

The original plan was for former Board Chairperson Masaru Asaoka to concurrently serve as the President from April 2024. Due to health reasons of the former Board Chairperson Asaoka, the plan was reconsidered. From April 2024, Shinichi Hirohashi started to serve as the Board Chairperson and Professor Yoichi Yamaguchi as the Acting President. As new president is appointed, Professor Yamaguchi resigned as the Acting President as of July 31, 2024.

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