CONVENTION 54
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FRIDAY, EDUCATION DAY
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SATURDAY, ANNUAL MEETING
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"It was so sweet to see friends once again, everyone smiling and hugging one another. Registration was smooth and effortless thanks to the Registration Team and Rae Costa's overall planning." - Lindy Marzo, Holy Apostles
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"A Great Annual Convention!!! Do the words 'great' and 'annual convention' go together?! But truly this year’s gathering of the Diocese was remarkable. Its focus on climate, diversity, justice and reconciliation was super solid." - The Rev. David Gierlach, St. Elizabeth's
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COOL CONGREGATIONS - Travis Idol, President of Hawaii Interfaith Power and Light (HIPL), led one of the afternoon sessions. HIPL is the Hawai'i affiliate of Interfaith Power and Light (IPL), a nationwide system of organizations who share the purpose of educating, guiding and providing tools to households and congregations to reduce their carbon footprint. To assist homes and churches with reduction, he presented a process from IPL titled “Cool Congregations.” He had also assembled a team of presenters: Hawai'i Energy’s Hoang Tran, whose agency can provide funds to purchase energy savers. These funds actually come from our bill payments to Hawaiian Electric. John Cheever, a representative of RevoluSun, a company that installs photovoltaic systems, showed how much hotter our Earth has become and the urgency to reduce greenhouse gases. Cheever also pointed out how much of our energy comes from fossil fuels, which means many millions of dollars are going out of our economy every year when the energy could be produced locally. Ted Peck, President of Holu Hou Energy, spoke of various ways to purchase photovoltaic systems and showed how common they now are in the Hawai'i.
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"There are several ways for a congregation to lessen their energy usage and there are organizations out there to help. Hawai'i Energy has programs that can help churches find savings, and if a church desires to take the step towards installing a photovoltaic system there are very few barriers to making that happen. With power purchase agreements, a church can install a PV system with no money down, and the energy purchasing will be between 25-30% less than the cost of purchasing power from HECO. (This does not apply to churches on Kaua'i because they are on their own coop energy utility.) If there are any churches who would like help walking through this process, our Creation Care & Environmental Justice (CC&EJ) Task Force is happy to walk alongside and help." - The Rev. Jenn Latham, Holy Nativity & CC&EJ Task Force |
I enjoyed the presentation on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The speaker gave a well informed talk on the current (worsening) state of relationship and opined that the two-state solution is not workable. Instead he proposed a one-state solution and gave ideas of how the latter might work." - Sim Kau, St. Peter's
An Hour with Queen Lili'uokalani
Following the plenary session and afternoon workshops, An Hour with Queen Lili'uokalani, a play by Rianna Williams, was performed by Carol Silva and the playwright. With deep reverence and respect towards her Majesty, no photos or taping of the play were allowed, including the performers themselves.
The setting was in the form of an interview with the already deposed Queen (Silva) and a reporter (Williams) chatting informally at a table. The "reporter's" questions elicited very personal responses about some not so well-known incidents, clearly developed from thorough research by Williams. One even referred to a Tahitian Prince that had allegedly "hit on the Queen!" You felt her quiet sorrow of a lonely marriage, and although she had three hānai children, she had none of her own. Most of the questions skirted politics and focused on the Queen's personal life and relationships. It was a pleasant journey back in time that captured yet another facet of a Queen with immeasurable grace. |
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The Convention Eucharist took place in St. Alban's Chapel, with the Bishop serving as Celebrant and folks from around the Diocese taking part in the annual event.
Cathedral Verger, Roth Puahala, led the procession with an oli, accompanied by torchbearers Jeanne Cooper and Laura La Gassa. Puahala was also the cantor for the Psalm. Mary Carpenter and Lot Lau served as the readers, and the sermon was delivered by the Rev. Canon Brian Grieves. Joining the Bishop at the altar were Assisting Priests: The Revs. Andrew Arakawa and Jenn Latham; and Deacons: The Ven. Steve Costa, the Rev. Deacons Lani Bowman and Robert Steele. Presenting oblations were the Rev. Mark Haworth and Jill Haworth, and assisting with the distribution of the Eucharist were Bea Fitzpatrick and the Revs. Christopher Golding and Brianna Lloyd. |
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This year there were six recipients, three of whom were able to pick up the award in person during the Convention's Aloha Reception. They were John Decker, Cordelia Burt, and Ivan Lui-Kwan. Accepting the award on behalf of Louise Aloy was the Rev. Moki Hino, and on behalf of the Rev. Mahi Beimes were her former Waiolaihui'ia classmates, the Revs. Paul Nahoa Lucas, Keleawe Hee, and Hau'oli Tomoso.
The Rev. Canon Dr. Winifred Vergara was also a recipient, who had received his award in September during his retirement party in Minnesota. The Rev. Irene Egmalis Maliaman presented it on behalf of the Bishop. To learn more about each of the recipients whose work in the Episcopal Church and their communities has been invaluable, visit the Diocesan website HERE. |
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Regular orders of business followed with Evette Tampos going over the appointments to committees and adoption of the agenda. Annalise Pasalo went over the nominations and ballots that would be voted on.
BUDGET - The Proposed Budget for 2023 was quickly adopted with no discussion. RESOLUTIONS - Going into the meeting there were two resolutions up for consideration:
Both were passed, although there was some discussion and testimony regarding Resolution #2. Opinions expressed included that politics should be kept out of the Church; wording needed to be further defined; where would the resources come from; while those in favor pointed out that this was not the Church telling people who to vote for, but getting people educated to vote as their civic duty. |
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ELECTRONIC VOTING - This year, the Annual Meeting went electronic! Churches and attendees were told to have access to an electronic device (laptop, tablet or cellphone) in order to view the workbook and to vote.
Election Runner was introduced at Convention 54 as the electronic means for voting. During the pandemic, voting was done through Zoom which eliminated the need for paper ballots and the time-consuming human element of counting. Voting was speedy and accurate. This prompted organizers to seriously consider electronic voting for all future meetings. It would, however, require training and all voting members to have an electronic device. Danny Casey, the Diocesan Controller, oversaw the electronic voting process, and the results were stellar! Training sessions were offered and a recorded session was posted on the Diocesan website for those who couldn't make it. The training video was also shown before the meeting started for anyone who needed it. Fatima Houchens and Mike Esposito were on hand to offer assistance at a table that was set-up with several laptops for anyone who was having issues with their devices. Voting went smoothly and despite the usually dreaded "third-round" ballot that popped up, it was painless with Election Runner. |
Seto Hall was imbued with the blue glow of electronic devices. With workbooks and ballots now being viewed on tablets and phones, the focus wasn't on the head table, but on a hand-held device. |
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"There is no going back! I think this sums up the use of Election Runner for voting at the Annual Meeting. It saved time in delegates actually voting and it especially saved time with getting the results. It was exciting to see delegation members helping those that were having trouble with accessing the voting site. We will obviously tweak the process and support needed for future Annual Meetings for an even better experience." - Danny Casey, Controller, Diocese of Hawai'i |
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DIOCESAN COUNCIL
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STANDING COMMITTEE
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BISHOP'S APPOINTMENTS
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OTHER
CATHEDRAL CHAPTER
SECRETARY OF CONVENTION - Annalise Pasalo |
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CLERGY DEPUTIES
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LAY DEPUTIES
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CLERGY ALTERNATES
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LAY ALTERNATES
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One of the highlights of the Annual Meeting is the Bishop's Address. This year's address, delivered live and in-person, was especially meaningful. The Bishop opened with the Prayer of St. Francis at the Damiano Cross, noting that the rebuilding of the church is not the structure but the people... "the Church is NOT our buildings. We – you and I, God’s People – are the Church."
Keeping in line with the theme of this year's Convention, he asked that we "...keep two words in mind as you pray and serve God: RELATIONSHIPS AND RECONCILIATION." While the Bishop spoke, a video was playing in the background showing the activity taking place around the Diocese this past year. It has now been modified to include music and quotes from the Bishop's Address. To view the text version of the Bishop's Convention Address, click on the button below. |
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"The Bishop's address touched my heart deeply. It was a great reminder to be aware of the joy I feel at church as I worship, fellowship and serve as an altar guild member. He inspired me to take action to invite my family and friends back to church." - Faith Shiramizu, All Saints' |
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The Response to the Bishop's Address was pre-recorded and is available for viewing here. It features six people from around the Diocese listed below.
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Bishop's Post-Convention ReflectionThis is a special post-convention video message from the Bishop, with reflections on the meeting, his address, and where the Diocese goes from here. The message was originally recorded on October 27, 2022.
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Contributed photo
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"I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to attend both Education Day and Annual Meeting. I felt the presence of God's spirit many times throughout those two days and I feel lucky to be a part of a church that embraces so many of the things that are near and dear to my heart. I hope that I will have another opportunity to attend convention in the future. If you've never gone I would definitely encourage you to do so. This was a life changing experience for me and I hope that I can continue to be of service to my community and my church all the days of my life." - Terry-Ann Moses, All Saints' |
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HĀLAU WA'A EPISCOPAL - The Rev. Mark Haworth, Vicar of the Diocese's newest congregation, Hālau Waʻa Episcopal, talked about the concept of wa'a or small ministries, that is changing the way they worship and gather in West O'ahu. Shown at right is the video that accompanied his presentation.
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"The presentation of Halau Waʻa Episcopal mission serving West O'ahu tied in really well with the theme of this year’s convention because it showed unconventional ways of worship, ministry, evangelism and outreach in the community." - Sim Kau, St. Peter's
At each Annual Meeting, a display is created for those in the Diocese who died during the church year (September through August). The display bears the names of the departed and their church. This year, windmills were set up in the grassy lawn fronting Seto Hall, each with the name and church of a beloved member. After the meeting, folks could take the individual windmills back to their churches.
Because the past two meetings were online, videos were shown in place of a physical display. We continue this new tradition for all in the Diocese to view and remember those that have passed. |
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Contributed photo
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"As a volunteer at Convention one of my duties was to help set up the pinwheels that held the names of those we lost this past year. We placed them along the walkway and it was a beautiful and moving sight to see them spinning in the wind. At the end of convention, I was able to take the pinwheels for both All Saints and St. Michael and All Angels back to Kauai and place them at the church entrances. It was a way to share with those who weren't at convention." - Mary Margaret Smith, Student of Waiolaihui'ia Center for Ministry |
"There's a lot of pre-convention work that makes much of the convention run smoothly. Thank you very much to Rae Costa, her set-up crew, and all of the Diocesan professional staff and volunteers." - Lindy Marzo, Holy Apostles
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Of course Rae doesn't do it alone, and alongside her is the small but tight-knit Diocesan Support Center team who works tirelessly on behalf of the Diocese. Denise Esposito, the Bishop's Executive Assistant, has her responsibilities down pat, and Danny Casey, the Diocese's Controller, took on the challenge of introducing electronic voting at the Annual Meeting. He, along with Elections Chair Jeanne Cooper by his side, were able to successfully launch Election Runner at this year's Annual Meeting.
Sonny Liu, the DSC's Office Assistant, and Fatima Houchens, the Financial Support Administrator and newest member of the DSC team, were in the mix of things and seemed to be everywhere. Sonny even pinch-hit for the photographer who had to leave for a couple hours. Fatima, along with Denise's husband Mike Esposito, manned a special desk with laptops during the Annual Meeting to offer technical assistance to anyone who needed it. Dedicated and reliable volunteers Sandy Souza, Pam Fern and Norma Chun, show up year after to year to man the registration table, run errands, and even assemble and display windmills in record time! |
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"A JOYOUS Diocesan Convention and one of the best ever. It was good to see everybody in-person. A big mahalo for everyone that put this together." - The Rev. Deacon Peter Wu
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Click above to go to the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i's main website.
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