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Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick selected Scripture from 2 Corinthians 5:20, as inspiration for this year's theme and logo. The Scripture focuses on our ministry as ambassadors for Christ, spreading the Gospel and message for all to be reconciled to God.
It is also, in part, a continuing theme of reconciliation, revival and rebirth, from Renewal 2019, the Diocesan event with our Presiding Bishop that took place in March. The convention logo utilized one of the elements from the Renewal 2019 logo, the Revive taro leaf with a cross. It was modified with a Droste effect in the center of the cross to symbolize God's infinite love into eternity. Surrounding the taro leaf are ethereal rays representing heaven and the light of God bursting through the waters of baptism. As ambassadors of Christ and ministers of the Church, we are called to pursue a mission to "restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ." (BCP, pg. 855) |
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"Great to see old friends and meet new ones. Love the feeling of unity when all together." |
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Taking part in the service were clergy and lay members from around the Diocese, beginning with acolytes from St. Christopher's: Carly and Evie Shumaker and Thane Maring. They were led by Cathedral Verger, Roth Puahala, who processed in with an oli.
Lectors were Nancy Perry (St. Christoper's) and the Rev. Nahoa Lucas (St. John's By-the-Sea). The Rev. Jazzy Bostock was the Cantor for the Psalm and Oblation Bearers were Tom King (St. Christopher's) and Jane Tonokawa (Emmanuel). Assisting Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick at the altar was one of the Diocese's newest deacons, the Rev. Dcn. Andrew Arakawa. The Revs. Giovan King and Nahoa Lucas administered the bread, with Eucharistic Ministers Elizabeth Lewin (St. Matthew's), Carolyn Remedios (Emmanuel), Tom Simpson and Joanna Witt (St. Christopher's). The Revs. Dustin Berg, Preston Lentz and Annalise Pasalo administered Asperges. A short video montage of the service can be viewed in the "Video Snippet" section further below. |
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"I absolutely loved working with them and would love to do this more often!" --Joseph Eppink |
The "pop-up" choir featured folks from across the Diocese and greater community. Leading the group was Joseph Eppink (pictured at left), who is the Director of Music at St. Peter's.
"The choir [also included] the St. Peter's choir and my hospice choir, Na Leo Malama," said Eppink. "They had a rehearsal on Thursday evening and then a short rehearsal prior to the service." With a sound so perfectly blended and with selections that highlighted and complemented their diversity, one would never have guessed that many in the choir never knew each other before this gathering. Along with Eppink on the organ and piano, there was a flautist, a percussionist, and ukulele players, all contributing to the wonderful music performed throughout the service. Donna Noe'au Komine not only shared her voice, but graced worshipers with a hula number. Wrapping up the day's events was the Aloha Reception held in Davies Hall. A feast of Hawaiian food was served up that included lau lau, kalua pig, lomi salmon, poi and haupia.
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Check-in for the Annual Meeting is taken seriously, and delegates are reminded to be sure to arrive early and register. Late arrivals lose their right to vote and may not sit with their congregations. When registration closed, people made their way to Tenney Theatre to find their seats and join up with the rest of their delegation.
Education Day guest speaker, the Rev. Jay Sidebotham, also served as Chaplain for the weekend event, and led the opening prayer. Introductions followed that included special guests, clergy new to the Diocese, those recently ordained to the Transitional Diaconate and Presbyterate, and retired or departing clergy. The newest member of the Diocesan Support Center and Executive Assistant to the Bishop, Denise Esposito, was warmly welcomed. Capping off formalities was the introduction of those on stage leading the meeting: Our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Robert Fitzpatrick, Chancellor Wayne Yoshigai, Dispatch of Business Chair the Rev. Annalise Pasalo, and the Rev. Cn. Moki Hino, who after many years serving as the Convention Secretary, announced that he was passing on the baton. We will certainly miss his humorous on-stage antics. |
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Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick began his Address to the Convention with a reading from Paul's Second letter to the Corinthians (5:13-20), from which the theme and logo for this year's meeting was taken.
In a continuing message of reconciliation, revival and rebirth from Renewal 2019, the Bishop wove together both Scripture and the realities of our life as Christians in today's world. He touched upon of the importance of the relationships in our lives, and spoke of his wife Bea and the 39 years of love and support they share. By name, the Bishop praised the Diocesan Support Staff, volunteers, and leaders that work tirelessly to lift up the Diocese and its ministries. His speech then turned towards his own future as Bishop, and reflected on the 13 years he has served the Diocese in this role. With its ups and downs and shifting demographics, there have been many challenges triggered by the recession, shrinking attendance in churches around the nation, and a world in turmoil. The announcement that St. Nicholas in Kapolei would soon be a preaching station was a sobering moment, but the Bishop remains hopeful that the potential in West O'ahu is there, and will continue to explore and engage communities in what is becoming Hawai'i's second largest urban center. |
"How can we share our faith - our church - if we don't know what we're sharing?" -- Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick |
"We are not afraid to say 'Jesus!'! We are about being proud Episcopalians - celebrating our faith, our style of worship and our theology. We are inclusive." -- Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick
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BISHOP'S CROSS PRESENTATION - At the conclusion of his Address, the Bishop announced this year's recipients of the Bishop's Cross. The award, a koa box engraved with the Bishop's Cross, is presented to individuals for their service and contributions in the Diocese and their communities. This year, two individuals received this recognition.
Harold "Hank" Parker, who has lived in Guam for the past 50 years, recently retired as Executive Director of Guam Legal Services, and was very active in the community. Archdeacon Irene Maliaman from the Episcopal Church in Micronesia, accepted the award on Parker's behalf and will be taking it to him in Guam. (Note: The Bishop Fitzpatrick also serves as Bishop-In-Charge of the Episcopal Church in Micronesia.) The Rev. Cn. David Kennedy was the second recipient. His reputation and contributions are well-known in the Diocese. The Bishop shared that Canon Kennedy would soon be moving to the mainland, and in a warm embrace, thanked him for a lifetime of devoted service and leadership. For many in attendance who have been touched by Canon Kennedy's wisdom, compassion and humor, the announcement was bittersweet. He will be deeply missed. |
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Regular orders of business included the selection of governance committee members replacing the outgoing class serving on Diocesan Council, the Standing Committee, and Cathedral Chapter. Those elected to Diocesan Council and the Standing Committee are now listed on the Diocesan website.
After three ballots were cast, the General Convention Deputies were elected and can be found on the Diocesan website's General Convention page. Diocesan Council member Dixie Kaetsu presented the 2019-2020 Budget and opened the floor for discussion. There was one amendment made to include funding for Safe Church Training. $9,000 was moved from the Diocesan Council grants to cover the costs for training. The amendment was passed and the Budget adopted. Links to the approved budget follow: |
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There were four resolutions up for consideration:
Resolution #1: The 2020 Minimum Clergy Compensation and Benefits Policy was presented by the Rev. JaR Pasalo, and adopted. It included a 1.9% increase to allow for the rise in cost of living. Resolution #2: Combating the Development of Racism in Children - In an impassioned address to the Convention, the Rev. Cn. David Kennedy was joined by Chuck Spence from the Standing Committee, to bring attention to the growing atmosphere of hate in our society. The seeds of racism are planted in children from a young age, and Kennedy implored all of us to take action to stop this cycle of hate. A revised version of the resolution by the Standing Committee was adopted, that would establish a task force and "consortium" with organizations to combat racism. Resolution #3: Changes to the Constitution - Chuck Spence from the Standing Committee presented the changes to the Constitution that were adopted, but the final reading and action will take place at next year's meeting in connection with Resolution #4. Resolution #4: Changes to the Canons - Ruth Smith, Chuck Spence and the Rev. Bruce DeGooyer presented the line by line changes to the Canons, but because this resolution was received less than 30 days prior to the meeting, action would be tabled until 2020. This would allow time for the Standing Committee to thoroughly review the recommendations being made to both the Canons and Constitution and garner input. The adoption of the Courtesy Resolutions, announced by the Rev. Imelda Pasadao, signaled the conclusion of the 51st Annual Meeting, and this year, Hawai'i Aloha, the traditional song sung at the very end, got some help with the beautiful music video collaboration featuring hundreds of artists, children, engineers, videographers and others to create what is sure to become a classic for all who call Hawai'i home. (The Hawai'i Aloha video can be viewed HERE.) The Journal for the 51st Annual Meeting of Convention is posted on the Diocesan website under Past Meetings of Convention HERE. |
"I think the Bishop and his staff did a great job of keeping the flow of the meeting organized and on track when delegates started to go on tangent topics. |
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THE BISHOP'S MITRE
Most returning clergy and delegates are familiar with the passing of the Bishop's Mitre (and its amusing story), which is a collection taken up during the meeting for a specified ministry or campaign. Although time ran out for the collection to take place, the Bishop encourages all to participate in and support Episcopal Relief and Development's One Thousand Days of Love campaign. On the web: ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE is a $3 million grassroots Church-wide fundraising campaign dedicated to expanding the organization’s global programs, improving the lives of children up to age six. Episcopal Relief & Development invites individuals, congregations, and dioceses to join ONE THOUSAND DAYS OF LOVE by engaging in acts of love of their own. |
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A CUP OF COLD WATER - Chuck Spence played a video created by Maui High School students for a class project. It featured one of the Diocese's most successful outreach ministries, A Cup of Cold Water (ACCW). The Care Van, which provides supplies and food to those in need throughout the island of Maui, continues to thrive and serve hundreds each week. ACCW has been a brilliant example of our churches coming together with a single vision, and creating partnerships in the wider community to flourish and grow. Volunteers and donations are always welcome. For more information, visit their Facebook page or the Diocesan website.
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RENEWAL 2019 - The final presentation was a video recap of the Diocese's highly anticipated visit with our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry, in a fabulous weekend event called Renewal 2019. The 15-minute video captured highlights of the three-day event in March that was filled with meaningful dialogue, motivation, learning, worship, fellowship, and the incredible joy generated by our Presiding Bishop. It also includes clips from the Presiding Bishop's inspirational keynote speech. For full-coverage and photos of this remarkable event, visit the Diocesan news website HERE.
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In the Von Holt Room of the Cathedral, some of the different ministries in the Diocese were on display. Attendees were able to get more information on Education for Ministry (EfM), Hawai'i Interfaith Power & Light (HIPL), Episcopal Church Women (ECW), Camp Mokule'ia, the Prison Ministry, 'Iolani Guild, Communications, and from Education Day, a table on RenewalWorks.
There were also two very special displays. As folks entered the room, the Necrology display stood front and center. It utilized the three banners from Renewal 2019, with the "Rebirth" banner serving as the symbol for all those being reborn into a new life of eternity. Spread amongst the banners were the names of 120 church members who passed away in the Diocese over the past year. At the foot of the banners were slippers piled up for churches and ministries to take with them after the convention to share with those in need. Many thanks to the Rev. Heather Patton-Graham for obtaining the slippers from a generous donor, and to Diocesan Support Center staff Sonny Liu for his creativity in repurposing the banners. |
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Education Day: RenewalWorks with The Rev. Jay Sidebotham
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Convention Eucharist clip
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Closing remarks from Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick's Convention Address
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The Diocesan Support Center (DSC) staff had its hands full this year beginning with one of the Diocese's largest events since its Sesquicentennial Celebration in 2012. This past March, Renewal 2019 required the focus and attention of all involved, and as soon as it was over, staff had to quickly refocus on this year's Annual Meeting, with a good three month delay.
Nevertheless, veteran planner and master of organization, Rae Costa, handled this year's meeting arrangements with her usual calm and efficiency, lending itself to another smooth running event. Even under pressure, she always had a smile for anyone with a question. Each person in the small but industrious staff played a large role in putting on Education Day and the Annual Meeting. There are speakers to coordinate, logistics to plan, tons of forms and documents to compile, a service to organize, questions to answer, and refreshments to serve... speaking of which, the Diocese's newly formed SPICE (yes, there are "grown up" GIRLS involved) handled the refreshments. Be sure to read about them further down. |
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"The Diocesan office staff is amazing" - "Well done Rae!!! You and your team rock!" - "Thank you to staff and volunteers for their hard work" - "Thanks to everyone who put so much time and effort into planning and executing the entire meeting!"
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MEET SPICE! The Diocese of Hawai'i has a new ministry group called SPICE that made their debut at the Annual Meeting. They are the spouses and partners of clergy in the Diocese with a mission to offer "Friendship, Support, and Encouragement."
During their debut weekend, Jill Suzuki Haworth (wife of the Rev. Mark Haworth), Bea Fitzpatrick (wife of our Bishop), Ana Langi (wife of the Rev. Dcn. Viliami Langi) and Faye Hee (wife of the Rev. Keleawe Hee) carted around carafes and containers of coffee, tea, cocoa, water and iced tea (including a delicious plantation iced tea) between the Cathedral kitchen, Aloha Tent and Davies Hall. They made sure the beverage containers didn't go dry, and best of all, they greeted everyone with smiles and cheer! FUN FACT! Jill shared how much was consumed over the weekend: 352 cups of coffee 170 cups of decaf coffee 10 cups of cocoa 145 cups of hot tea (black, green, and asst. herbal) Totaling: 677 hot cups of beverage PLUS 80 cups of ice tea/plantation ice tea |
If you are a spouse or partner of a clergyperson (including surviving spouses and partners) and are interested in taking part in SPICE, contact them HERE. They would love to hear from you!
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Click above to go to the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i's main website.
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