[Anglican Communion News Service] The Most Rev. Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu has been re-elected as primate of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (the Anglican Church in Japan) at its 61st synod which met May 27-29.

He will serve until the next synod in 2016. In NSKK canon law, the primate is elected by the synod for two years and can be re-elected without a limitation of the number of terms.

Also a new general secretary, the Rev. Jesse Shin-ichi Yahagi of the Diocese of Kyoto, was appointed by the House of Bishops and consented to by clergy and lay people.

He is currently rector of St. John’s Church in Kanazawa and head of the affiliated St. John’s Nursery School.

He replaces the Rev. John Makito Aizawa, who has stepped down after serving three terms of six years. Aizawa will return to his native Diocese of Yokohama.

The Anglican Board of Mission has reported that the new prime bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines is the Rt. Rev. Renato Mag-gay Abibico, bishop of Northern Luzon. No official confirmation of this has yet been received by the Anglican Communion Office.