A Place at the Table: Michiko Bown-Kai

“For me, as someone who is very intentionally and publicly queer in the work that I do…I believe everyone should have a platform to express their identities and experiences as they wish to be seen, heard, and understood.”

Michiko’s journey into ministry was anything but conventional but has always been rooted in a deep connection to community and a commitment to social justice. Growing up in The United Church of Canada, with both parents serving as ministers, they were surrounded by faith. Yet it wasn’t until their undergraduate studies that the intersection of faith and world-changing work became clear and the questions they encountered led them to serve.

For Michiko, ministry is about honouring our Christian tradition of radical hospitality; it’s about ensuring that everyone has space to express who they are. Michiko believes that “everyone should have a community to express their identities and experiences as they wish to be seen, heard, and understood,” and sees this as an essential part of both faith and community-building.

Their experience in the United Church, particularly in its commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous communities, has shaped their belief that church and faith must evolve. “The church participated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,” they note, appreciating how the church is working to unlearn colonialism’s legacy and ongoing impacts. “It’s how the spirit is calling us to do something new as a church.”

As Michiko looks to the future, they see the church evolving through these principles, embracing the complexity of the world while fostering a community where everyone is invited to the table. In this space, as in their own life, faith becomes not just a set of beliefs, but a collective effort to transform the world through love, understanding, and action.

For Michiko, one of the true gifts of being an ordained minister in The United Church is to be able to preside during the sacrament of Communion: an invitation to break bread together in community as a way of providing nourishment for our varied spiritual journeys. Participating in this project was a powerful reminder that each time we share in Communion, we are remembering Jesus’ last supper where he gathered in an Upper Room with his loved ones to celebrate the story of a God who liberates. Communion is a sacred act of coming together in hope and love, and a testament to the power of sharing food and story as a way of building community.

Michiko smiling widely, wearing deep blue lipstick, subtle rainbow glitter next to her eye and a rainbow shawl

Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai (they/them) is an ordained minister in The United Church of Canada, currently serving Glen Morris United Church (ON) located on Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Attiwonderonk land. They are passionate about social justice, creative expression, and learning land-based skills.