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Aloha Kākou,
Last Friday, Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick, announced his plans to “resign due to advanced age” in late 2026. The resignation terminology is specific, as Bishop Bob points out, because one never stops being a bishop. That’s just the beginning of the intricate bishop transition process we will pursue together as a Diocese in the coming 18 months. The protocol is vital to a successful bishop transition and meant to be both a grand celebration for our departing Bishop and a welcoming for the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i.
Before discussing the “Bishop Transition Plan” we want to extend a heartfelt expression of gratitude to Bishop Bob for his service as our fifth bishop, ordained on March 10, 2007.
Let’s recall recent history in our Diocese and the world. During his tenure, Bishop Bob first led us through the financial market liquidity crisis which was followed by the Great Recession. A decade later, a global pandemic hit that has taken over 7.1 million lives globally at last count. Not only did Bishop Bob and the diocesan leaders bring us through both crises mostly intact, but we all held together in prayer, love, faith and compassion.
We grew in our faith under his leadership. Navigating the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i through those major world events was no easy feat. One thing is certain: Bishop Bob could not have foreseen these challenges on that special Saturday in 2007. We are truly blessed Bishop Bob was at the helm, and we offer prayers of gratitude for his dedication and service. Mahalo nui Bishop Bob!
We mention the hardships we faced together, in part to express appreciation, but also to consider the unforeseen tasks the next bishop of Hawai‘i likely will face. The world as we know has changed and will continue to change.
We also have no idea what challenges the next bishop of Hawai‘i will face, but as we conduct our search and candidate selection, election, and transition to our new bishop, these possibilities must be top of mind. Being Bishop Diocesan is much more than ceremoniously leading us through worship services, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, funerals, ordinations and annual conventions, as we have learned over the last 18 years. The bishop we select must face challenges with grace, humility, love and compassion, with a spirituality that leads us to an awakening of our love for Jesus, and nurtures our love for all people.
Thanks to Bishop Bob’s advance planning, your Standing Committee has been working on this announcement for months, literally starting back in 2024. We have constructed a budget for the transition with the help of the Treasurer, the Commission on Finance, and the Diocesan Council. We have been in contact with the Presiding Bishop’s office, retained a consultant, formed a Search Committee, formed a Transition Committee, formed a “Bishop Transition Plan,” scheduled the events to come over the next 18 months, learned an extensive amount about the process, and most importantly, prayed considerably for guidance. It has been an exceptionally busy time for the Standing Committee with attention to, and compliance with, the Canons and Constitution of our Diocese and The Episcopal Church.
Mahalo for your interest in the bishop transition process. This is an opportunity for all people of this Diocese to participate and contribute to the future direction of the Diocese as well as the direction of The Episcopal Church. In our discernment, it is important to also consider the influence our next bishop will have as a member of the House of Bishops. Our goal as the Standing Committee is to invite and accept input from all of you, that include clergy, lay, and employees of the Diocese and its member churches.
We want to hear from you and ask you to join our Diocesan virtual town hall meeting on May 3, 2025, at noon HST (Sunday at 8:00 a.m. Guam/Saipan). At this virtual town hall, the Standing Committee will review the “Bishop Transition Plan.” The zoom meeting will be recorded and distributed for those who cannot attend. This town hall is your opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions and provide your thoughts on our way forward as a Diocese and The Episcopal Church. The Search Committee and members of the Transition Committee will attend this meeting as well, so that they might hear all your contributions. As you’ll hear in the presentation, the members of the Search and Transition Committees have been carefully selected to represent every island in our Diocese, including Guam/Saipan. They are your representatives as we journey through this bishop transition process together. REGISTER FOR MAY 3, 2025 VIRTUAL TOWN HALL HERE
Please see the accompanying files with the members of the Standing, Search, and Transition Committees as well as the general timeline of important dates in the entire bishop transition process. We thank the members of Search Committee and Transition Committee for joining on.
We also invite all to attend the Standing Committee “talk story” sessions we are conducting in person throughout the Diocese. After a very insightful session on Kaua‘i in February, we will conduct our next session at Good Samaritan Episcopal Church on O‘ahu, on Saturday May 17, at 1:00 p.m. The Standing Committee will then hold its talk story sessions on the Big Island of Hawai‘i on July 18 (East) and July 19 (West), locations and details to follow. The Maui in-person session will be held on September 20, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church By-the-Sea. The sessions are open to all diocesan-related topics.
The Standing Committee will keep you informed – after all, this is your Diocese and these are your bishops. We will confirm progress as we meet the milestones we are now sharing with you and welcome your observations along the way. All of us on the Standing Committee thank you for your trust in us and pray that the Holy Spirit will be with us as we care for one another with understanding, grace, and the love of God.
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