Minister

Rev. William Briones was born and raised in Mountain View, CA. His major was in Biology. He worked 28 years as a Research Biologist in the Department of Physiology, at Syntex Pharmaceuticals in Palo Alto, CA. He took an early retirement in 1995 and enrolled at the Institute of Buddhist Studies at CA Berkeley's Graduate of Theology Union. Upon Completion of ministerial program at Berkeley, Rev. Briones attended Chuo Bukkyo Gakuin (Buddhist Seminary) in Kyoto, Japan for 2 years. He received his Tokudo ordination in September 2000 and Kyoshi certification in April 2001.

His orientation began at LA Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in June 2001 and he joined the ministerial staff as a full time minister in January 2002. He became the 10th Rimban (head minister) of LA Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in September 2013.

Rev. Hibiki Junkyo Murakami（村上 響、釋 順響） is from Kitakyushu city, Fukuoka, Japan. He received his bachelor’s and a master’s degrees of letters of Shin Buddhism at Ryukoku University in Kyoto in 2016 and 2018.  He received Tokudo ordination in 2013 and Kyoshi certification in 2015. His Buddhist name was given Shaku Junkyo. He completed the International Ministerial Orientation Program at at Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley in 2018. Upon the completion of  IMOP, in January 2020, his ministry in the United States stetted with being assigned to L.A. Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple.