Dear Central Union Church ‘ohana,

The wait is over, and we can finally share the wonderful news: Rev. Irene Willis Hassan is officially joining our church family as our new Associate Minister!



Before we go any further, I do want to thank the people who made this possible. Finding the right pastoral leader isn't just reading resumes and ministerial profiles; it's like cultivating a thriving lo‘i kalo (taro patch). It takes patience, it takes planning, and it takes a whole lot of faith that the right roots will take hold. We owe a huge mahalo to our incredible Search Committee who worked with me: Marion Lyman Mersereau (from CUC Honolulu), Jocelyn Pratt, and Kathy Kehl (from CUW). They poured their time, their talent, and their trust into this tricky, nuanced process to guide us forward.

Pastor Irene is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She brings a deep commitment to ministry that is rooted in aloha, engages multiple generations, and constantly expands our capacity for welcome. Irene and her husband, Hamza, have three children: Aisha (10), Adam (8), and Jumana (1). Aisha can usually be found filling sketchbooks with drawings or practicing karate, Adam can usually be found building dirt bikes with his dad or bodyboarding at Kalama Beach with his friends, and Jumana's greatest passion in life is snacks.

Hamza is a carpenter from Palestine, which Pastor Irene says she has always found delightfully ironic, considering she has devoted her life to following a different carpenter from Palestine.

Pastor Irene currently serves as the Senior Pastor at Kailua Christian Church. In that role, she didn't rely on expensive, prepackaged programs to bring people in. Instead, by patiently listening to the community and building on their existing strengths, she helped the congregation completely transform, doubling its attendance.



We all know that blending the rhythms of two different campuses is tricky. It's like singing a duet where both voices need to maintain their unique sound while still harmonizing perfectly. Pastor Irene is exactly the kind of leader who can help us hit those high notes. She has a real gift for helping congregations navigate differences safely, respectfully, and productively. Her years of experience as a chaplain for The Institute for Human Services (IHS) means she knows how to sit with people through the hardest parts of life, offering genuine spiritual care and counseling.

With Pastor Irene on board, our preaching rotation will also get a whole lot richer! Because she will be providing a steady, grounding presence on Sunday mornings at Windward, it opens a beautiful door for me to, to head over the mountain and lead worship at CUW more frequently. At the same time, it will offer Pastor Irene the opportunity to step into the pulpit at our Honolulu campus to share her own vibrant voice and vision often. It’s a true win-win, ensuring both of our campuses get to be nurtured by the unique spiritual gifts and styles that both of us bring.

Mark your calendars!

Pastor Irene will officially begin her ministry with us on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. We will get to experience her very first Sunday in the pulpit at CUW just a few days later, on Sunday, September 20, 2026.

Here is how she will be sharing her time with us moving forward:

• Sunday Mornings: Pastor Irene will be our spiritual anchor at Central Union Windward (CUW), preaching and leading worship there almost every single Sunday.

• During the Week: She will divide the rest of her schedule dynamically between the CUW and CUC Honolulu campuses.

• Always Accessible: To make sure she stays closely connected to folks at both locations, she will have a dedicated office on both campuses.

Just like a carefully woven lei, where different blossoms are braided together to create something stronger and more fragrant, Pastor Irene will assist me in helping weave our two campuses closer together.

Let’s get ready to show her what radical hospitality really looks like as we celebrate this exciting new season together!

In gratitude for the ministry we share, together,

Rev. A. Rushan Sinnaduray

Senior Minister

Central Union Church

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