Reverend Terry Yasuko Ogawa
Terry Yasuko Ogawa
Reverend Terry Yasuko Ogawa works at the intersection of culture, land, and spirituality. She is trained in natural resources, urban studies, faith, and religion and has worked to advance inclusivity and justice using faith-based frameworks and methodologies. Reverend Ogawa has worked throughout the United States and is the Area Conference Minister for the Northwest Region of the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ.
"Be really clear about what calls you to your work and to revisit that from time to time" - Reverend Terry Y. Ogawa, 2024.
Ogawa, T., Y., 2018. Housing First and Photovoice: Transforming Lives, Communities, and Systems, American Journal of Community Psychology.
Ogawa, T. Y., 2008. Wando-Huger: A Study of the Impacts of Development on the Cultural Role of Land in Black Communities of the South Carolina Lowcountry [Thesis], University of Michigan.
Reverend Terry Yasuko Ogawa grew up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, a location rich with history. Much of the land is heirs’ property, purchased by emancipated slaves, as opposed to being inherited by a will. Much of the land was owned communally with little to no formal documentation. Growing up, she saw the dichotomy of black and white families in the neighborhood, with little interaction between the two communities despite living in close proximity. This experience would spark her interest in cultural justice and land. She pursued a BA in Urban Studies from the College of Charleston and an MS in Natural Resources and the Environment from the University of Michigan, where her master’s thesis focused on the cultural role of land in black communities in her region. She also holds a Master of Divinity and a Certificate in Asian and Oceanic Culture and Faith Traditions from the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union and was ordained at the Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu, Hawai’i, by the O’ahu Association of the Hawai’i Conference in 2018. During her MDiv, Reverend Ogawa studied the missionary heritage of the United Church of Christ in Hawai’i and its implication for the church’s relationship with the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) churches. Reverend Ogawa is the Area Conference Minister for the Northwest Region of the United Church of Christ. As Area Conference Minister, she catalyzes and nurtures the growth of individuals, teams, and organizations, helping them develop competencies in conflict resolution, community engagement, strategic planning, and inclusivity.
From 2001 to 2003, Reverend Ogawa served as the Charles E. Cobb Environmental Justice Resident, Justice and Witness Ministries at the United Church of Christ (UCC) in Washington, D.C. In the role, she focused on environmental justice-related policies. Reverend Ogawa was the UCC representative to the Washington Interfaith Staff Community Energy and Ecology Working Group and the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group. Afterward, she joined the Environmental Justice Initiative at the University of Michigan as a Research Associate, where she advanced environmental justice through partnerships and research (2003-2004). Also, at the University of Michigan, she worked on the Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative as a Research Associate (2005). She surveyed environmental organizations and agencies in this role and assisted with the National Summit on Diversity in the Environmental Field.
Upon earning her MS from UMich, Reverend Ogawa was selected as a NOAA Coastal Management Fellow at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (2005-2007). With the department, she utilized GIS to assess the visual impacts of development along the Connecticut coast and conducted outreach. She collaborated with the Connecticut Gateway Commission to help preserve natural resources on the lower Connecticut River. As an Environmental Planner, Reverend Ogawa then joined Group 70 in Honolulu, drawing on her studies and experiences in culturally contextual planning and place-based design (2007-2009).
After earning her Master of Divinity in 2013, Reverend Ogawa worked for The Institute for Human Services as a Chaplain and Community Liaison, where she developed the institute's interfaith chaplaincy program (2014-2016). She established the Hawai'i Faith-Based Summit on Homelessness with the institute, the largest homelessness service agency in Hawai'i. She partnered with the University of Hawai'i to conduct a participatory study of clients' first year out of homelessness, resulting in a photographic exhibition displayed at City Hall. Afterward, she joined the Pacific School of Religion as their Associate Advancement Director (2016-2017). In the role, she built relationships with key stakeholders, including alums, congregations, and denominations. She subsequently was called to the Congregational Church of Pinehurst, UCC, as Pastor (2018-2021) before joining UCC's Central Atlantic Conference as their Campaign Organizer for Faith and Democracy in advance of the 2020 presidential election (2020-2021). In the latter role, she organized and advocated in the region, focusing on the intersection of faith, democracy, and justice. Reverend Ogawa currently serves with the UCC's Southern New England Conference as an Area Conference Minister, where she collaborates with churches and regional bodies to advance community and inclusivity (2021-present).
Reverend Ogawa says every step in her career has had beautiful moments but specifically emphasizes the people she has met as a highlight. She speaks to a chance encounter she had while working in Hawaiʻi, where she sat next to a man at church she had helped facilitate receiving a grant years prior with the UCC to build solidarity between Native Hawaiians and Native Alaskans to help preserve their subsistence way of life and to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. After the encounter, she was able to work with him on ethnobotanical restoration initiatives in Hawaiʻi. Reverend Ogawa highlights that no matter what type of work she does, she creates connections that are fulfilling and inspiring for herself and others and sees these encounters as career highlights.
Reverend Ogawa emphasizes that there are a host of mentors who have helped her throughout her personal and professional journeys. These include supervisors, colleagues, classmates, and professors such as Bunyan Bryant, Charles Lee, Adora Iris Lee, and Dorceta Taylor, among several others. She highlights that her network would continue to expand because one person would introduce her to another, much like a lilypad, springing her from one opportunity to another. She further highlights that many of these chance encounters that blossomed into something more were due to people's openness to the movement of the Holy Spirit and its creative movement, which she seeks to create with those she interacts with.
While Reverend Ogawa does advise leaders in her congregations, she would love to be more involved with more direct mentorship to equip, build up, renew, and strengthen those on the front lines of serving their communities, especially those starting their careers. She always seizes the opportunity to talk to young people, whether at schools, universities, or church, when asked. In these talks, she seeks to help people think beyond the boxes they believe are set for them.
In reflecting on advice she would give to young professionals considering careers similar to hers or in the environmental and community-centered space, she says that it is important to "be really clear about what calls you to your work and to revisit that from time to time" as "it is so easy to start doing the climbing, the promotions" and lose sight of what you are really passionate about (2024). She also reminds herself of this, taking time to ensure that she is doing work that both sustains her and that she can sustain as well since environmental and miniserial work can be very challenging. Furthermore, Reverend Ogawa says it is important to consider how "you say yes and no but also how whoever you work for says yes or no" (2024). Ensuring that your values align with your organization is critical since it can make all the difference in a fulfilling job.
Reverend Ogawa also reminds young professionals and professionals alike that "there are many ways to be an activist" (2024). She speaks to her own experience, in which she struggled to work on the front lines of justice because it felt like the world's weight was on her, highlighting the significant challenges environmental justice work can bring. She holds deep respect and admiration for those who do but embraced that there are many ways to show up and make a difference and that you do not have to sacrifice your mental, emotional, or spiritual health to remain in a sector, even if it is one that you are very passionate about. There will be opportunities to combine your interests, just as Reverend Ogawa has done with faith and the environment.
(JEDSI) Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2024. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.
Terry Yasuko Ogawa. (n.d.). LinkedIn. Retrieved June 24, 2024 from https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryogawa/
Terry Yaksuo Ogawa. (n.d.). Perfect Compass. Retrieved June 24, 2024 from https://www.perfectcompass.org/about
Terry Yaksuo Ogawa [Photo]. (n.d.). Perfect Compass. Retrieved June 24, 2024 from https://www.perfectcompass.org/about
Terry Yasuko Ogawa. (n.d.). United Chruch of Christ Southern New England Conference. Retrieved June 24, 2024 from https://www.sneucc.org/staffdetail/3249300
Terry Yaksuo Ogawa [Photo]. (n.d.). Perfect Compass. Retrieved June 24, 2024 from https://www.perfectcompass.org/about