He established the Gedatsu Church in 1929,[3] devoting himself to leading people to spiritual awakening, enlightenment and peace until his demise in 1948.
Upon the beginning of World War II, Kiyota, along with the Japanese and Japanese-American populace in the United States, were forced into relocation camps.
Upon being released from Tule Lake, Kiyota founded the first branch of the Gedatsu Church of America in San Francisco, California.
Total membership of the church is disputed, with Kishida claiming followers of Gedatsu-Kai in North America amount to roughly 2000 in the early 1980s, while those who were considered actually active was much lower, in the low hundreds.
Inside the main church building, there is an altar that holds the three objects of worship in Gedatsu-kai, the Tenjinchigi, Gochi Nyorai, and Gedatsu Kongo.