Robert T. Hoshibata

Robert Tsugio Hoshibata (born 11 October 1951) is a bishop of The United Methodist Church (UMC), the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States. He was elected to the episcopacy in 2004. His first assignment was as Bishop of the Oregon-Idaho Conference of the UMC. He currently serves as Bishop of the Phoenix Episcopal Area, Desert Southwest Conference for the UMC.

Birth and family Hoshibata was born 11 October 1951 in Honolulu, Hawaii and raised in Wahiawa, Hawaii. He married Greta Goo on 10 August 1974.

Ordained ministry Hoshibata's first position was as the youth minister of the First Congregational Church of Portland, Connecticut (1970–71). He then served as a ministerial intern at Kahalu'u U.M.C., Parker U.M.C. and Palolo U.M.C. in Hawaii (1974–75). He was the Youth Minister of the North Gardena U.M.C. in Gardena, California, (1973–74, 1975–77), then appointed as senior pastor of the same congregation (1977–84). He served 1984-98 as senior pastor of Blaine Memorial U.M.C., Seattle, Washington. He was appointed superintendent of the Seattle District of the U.M.C., a position he held until elected to the episcopacy.

In December 2012, Bishop Hoshibata visited over a dozen offices in the United States Senate and House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., in support of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and as part of the UMC's Imagine No Malaria campaign.

In May 2013, Bishop Hoshibata was also signatory to a letter advocating immigration reform to Arizona's Senators.

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