Obituary from American Baptist News Service, 1987

During his tenure as Director of Evangelism for American Baptist National Ministries from 1956 to 1966, Morikawa was one of the denomination’s best-known and best-loved leaders. He was also a controversial figure among Baptists, largely because of his quiet and intellectual nature, and because of his association with the social gospel. Morikawa served with National Ministries for 20 years, first as director of evangelism and later as secretary of the Office of Planning and Organizational Development. He was Associate Executive Secretary of National Ministries for several years.

Following his retirement in 1976, he became senior interim minister of the Riverside Church in New York City. In 1977 he was named full-time interim pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan for four years, retiring in December 1982.

Morikawa served as vice president of the American Baptist Churches from 1984 until the end of 1985.

During World War II, he spent 18 months in the Poston Relocation Center for Japanese Americans in Arizona. Following his time there, Morikawa began a 12-year ministry as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Chicago. He directed the church’s involvement in the first major urban renewal program on the American Scene through the Hyde Park-Kenwood Community Conference.

Morikawa was born in British Columbia and received his BA degree from the University of California at Los Angeles and the masters of theology from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.