Pieces on Peace, October 2026 Edition
This month I officially stepped into my role as our presbytery’s Minister of Peacemaking and Justice. I first want to thank all those who have shared kind words of congratulations and prayers throughout my first year of working with Presbytery of San José. It has been a true blessing to receive such support and encouragement.
Since this is a new position and some have asked questions, I’ll share a little background about how this position came to be and what hopes I have for my ministry endeavors. In January of 2026, I joined the presbytery as Peacemaking and Justice Advocate, working to educate, equip, and empower our presbytery, churches, and members to engage in justice work they felt their faith called them to engage in. There is no doubt that this advocacy work was certainly a form of ministry on its own, as all Christians are called to understand our vocations in terms of serving and loving God and neighbor. At the same time, I was somewhat limited by the fact that I was unable to represent our presbytery as an official clergy member in the public sphere, despite the fact that I had completed all requirements for ministry in the Presbyterian Church, USA.
By becoming ordained and commissioned to serve our presbytery as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, I am now able to more meaningfully and legitimately advocate for peacemaking and justice movements as a representative of our presbytery. As a minister, I can now preside over communions, baptisms, and weddings in our congregations. Outside of our church spaces, I can serve as clergy at interfaith vigils or in city council meetings and courtrooms. My new position will help the secular organizations and local leaders that I work with to better understand our presbytery’s faithful commitment to the work of peacemaking in our communities.
In addition to serving as Minister of Peacemaking and Justice, part of my call is to serve as the Designated Organizing Pastor of The Good Growth Garden, a new worshipping community located at Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville. It is my hope that The Good Growth Garden will inspire more earth care ministry initiatives in our presbytery and foster multi-church collaboration. Enjoy experiencing the miracle of God’s growth? Come garden with us!
– Rev. Veronica Toyomi Ota, Peacemaking & Justice Minister