A Reflection on Transitions

My dear Siblings in Christ Jesus,

The author of Ecclesiastes is referred to in Hebrew as Qoheleth, “Teacher of the Assembly,” in the very first verse. Chapter 3, verses 1-7, are the most famous lines from the book:

There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens:

a time for giving birth and a time for dying,

a time for planting and a time for uprooting what was planted,

a time for killing and a time for healing,

a time for tearing down and a time for building up,

a time for crying and a time for laughing,

a time for mourning and a time for dancing,

a time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones,

a time for embracing and a time for avoiding embraces,

a time for searching and a time for losing,

a time for keeping and a time for throwing away,

a time for tearing and a time for repairing,

a time for keeping silent and a time for speaking,

a time for loving and a time for hating,

a time for war and a time for peace.

I hold these words close as I look to a time transition within our Diocesan ‘ohana.

The famous passage is a carefully structured poem in Hebrew listing fourteen pairs of opposites — birth and death, planting and uprooting, weeping and laughing, mourning and dancing, and so on. The pairs are not moral choices but observed realities. Qoheleth is not saying we should do these things in turn, but that life contains all of them, whether we want it to or not. The structure itself enacts the argument: life comes at us in opposites; we don't control which season we're in.

In this new season for the Diocese, I am delighted that Libby Berman has been elected the sixth Bishop Diocesan of Hawaiʻi. The election was wonderful and a keen gift of the Holy Spirit. The Convention acted quickly and decisively. I look forward to having her as my bishop! Thanks be to God!

Pastorally, I hope everyone in the Diocese will give her time to transition and to settle. The process is now underway for her election to be confirmed by the bishops with jurisdiction (many diocesan bishops) and the Standing Committees of the Dioceses of the Episcopal Church. This will take a couple of months. Likewise, she is still the Rector of the Church of the Holy Nativity, ʻĀina Haina, and will continue through the summer.

Libby and I will begin meeting soon to prepare for the transition. Her diocesan email address and calendar will be set up in early June. I have invited her to Diocesan Council meetings beginning in June. She will officially be in the Diocesan Support Center and on staff beginning on September 1, 2026. During September and October I will introduce her to the boards and organization on which the Bishop sits. I will work with her to make the needed appointments for the October annual meeting of Convention. Libby will also be involved with coaches and classes set up by the College for Bishops and the Presiding Bishop’s Office for new bishops.

READ FULL MESSAGE HERE

On Friday, April 24, 2026, Bishop Bob was the guest of honor at St. Andrew's Schools Queen Emma Ball, their annual signature fundraiser. The event was held on the lawn of Queen Emma Square under starry skies and a massive tent to accommodate the hundreds of guests and performing students. As the honored guest, Bishop received a beautiful feather lei to be treasured for generations, and a heartwarming video encapsulating his 20 years as their bishop was shared. (To view the video on YouTube, click HERE.) Donations raised from the silent auction and live bidding will go far to help the school continue to provide scholarships and quality eduction as they begin a new chapter with coed school life. (Photos: S. Nishioka)

Be sure to stay informed with the Bishop's latest messages by clicking on the button shown. All video messages also appear on the Dioceseʻs YouTube Channel and Facebook page.

Reminder: This Sunday is Trinity Sunday!

Special Collection for Camp Mokulē'ia

For over a decade, Trinity Sunday has been designated for special collections going towards Camp Mokulē'ia. You can read Bishop Bob's appeal letter for the annual giving HERE. The recent storms that impacted the entire island chain, caused extensive damage to our camp. Please give generously to help them with repairs and recovery.

As Maui continues the painstaking journey to rebuild after the devastating 2023 fires destroyed Lahaina town and Holy Innocents Episcopal Church with it, the physical losses that members have faced are being compounded with deeper, more spiritual issues.

Since December 2023, members of Holy Innocents have been temporarily worshiping at the Honolua United Methodist Church in Napili. This community friend has allowed them to worship there rent-free! While worship has been a wonderful respite with long-time visitors returning regularly, their status changed to a preaching station for canonical and administrative reasons. Since early 2025, they have been under the umbrella of Trinity By-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Kihei.

As they move forward, all interested in the future of Maui, Lahaina, and Holy Innocents are being invited to attend a special gathering on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Trinity By-the-Sea. It will be a "guided" heart-to-heart talk and working session from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Due to space and lunch considerations, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. If you have any questions, contact the diocese's Communications Relations Coordinator for Maui, the Rev. Deacon Kalani Holokai, by email HERE or call her at (808) 570-5919.

With the triennial Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) cancelled this year, over 150 youth and chaperones from Province VIII will be heading to Hawai'i where we will be hosting delegations from the dioceses of Arizona, California, Idaho, Navajoland, Nevada, Olympia, San Diego, Spokane, Utah, Western Oregon, and even Taiwan! Of course 15 youth from our diocese will be participating, including seven making the journey from Guam and Saipan! The event will be held this summer, July 28 - 31, on the grounds of The Cathedral of St. Andrew and St. Peter's "on the Square."

With the theme "Talk Story Pilgrimage, it will be a journey focusing on the history and culture of Hawai'i as well as personal stories of immigration from all dioceses. We will be reaching out for volunteers and ways that you can help support our youth. Stay tuned! For now, visit the PYE with Aloha: Talk Story Pilgrimage webpage HERE. We are still solidifying final arrangements, but it's looking to be a great time! Please keep them all in your prayers! If you have any logistical questions, contact Rae Costa by email HERE.

I just started reading Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose. She describes mattering, knowing that we are valued and have a real chance to add value to the world, as one of the deepest hungers of the human heart. In theological terms, this is a question of anthropology: what it means to be human in light of God’s creating and saving love, rather than in light of achievement or status. Christian theological anthropology insists that our mattering begins not with what we do, but with the God who creates us and calls us beloved.

In a world that so often measures our worth in grades, paychecks, productivity, or how “useful” we appear to others, the gospel offers a radically different vision of what it means to be human. We are not units of production for the economy or even for the church; we are beloved children of God. The grace of God does not wait to see what we can accomplish before naming us as precious. READ MORE

New York church celebrates Pentecost with community gathering, Bad Bunny flash dance

[May 26, 2026]  St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, an Episcopal parish in New York’s East Village, celebrated Pentecost May 24 with a post-worship neighborhood cookout and a flash dance featuring music by Bad Bunny, a Puerto Rican reggaeton musician. READ MORE