The Rt. Rev. Robert L. Fitzpatrick
Tenney Theatre, Cathedral of Andrew, Honolulu
Saturday, October 30, 2010

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[First an eight minute clip from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (DVD Disk 1, Scene 27: “The Council of Elrond”) was shown.]
 
“Where are we going?”
And so Pippin – and according to the book, The Fellowship of the Ring, the youngest member of that fellowship – volunteers to go and then asks the destination.  His friends need him and, anyway, it’s an adventure.

The scene from the first Lord of the Rings movie is the “Council of Elrond.”  Something like the Convention of Middle Earth.  Called to gather the fellowship to face evil, to face the unknown, called to change the world.

Where are we going?  Wherever it is, it will be together – we are the fellowship of Christ.  As Paul writes, “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:9)

Last night at the joyous celebration of the Eucharist – a celebration that included the ordination of Rick Wirtz to the diaconate – and a few minutes ago we sang – by permission of its Big Island composer, Mr. Joe Camacho – a wonderful contemporary hymn. Did you catch the words in the refrain? “Pili pa‘a no kāua me ke aloha a mau loa. We come together in love and hope, we stand as one.” 



“We stand as one”  -- as one fellowship, as one people:  One Body, One Spirit;  One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“Pili pa‘a no kāua me ke aloha a mau loa. We come together in love and hope, we stand as one.” 


We stand as one.

I have become increasing aware of our mutuality and interdependence.  As the size of the Bishop’s staff has continued to decline, those in the office must depend upon one another.  Without temp help and other support we look to volunteers when possible.  I thank God for Marie, Lani, Liz, Nancy and Peter – and now for Archdeacon Pat and other faithful volunteers.

I am also thankful for the hard work, keen insights and generous gift of the leaders of the Diocese.  Both the Standing Committee as my Council of Advice and the Diocesan Council acting for the Convention provide this Diocese broad and engaged leadership.  They are truly members of the fellowship of Christ.  As are you, the delegates to this convention – thank you.  

The Commission on Ministry has taken on renewed importance.  We now have over twenty people in discernment or in various stages of the ordination process.  The leadership of the fellowship in this Diocese is growing.  The diaconate is being renewed – beginning last night with Rick’s ordination.
Finally, we also are blessed with faithful clergy.  I am struck by the collegiality, faithfulness and the wisdom of our clergy.  To every priest and deacon, mahalo.  Thank you for being companions in this fellowship – pilgrims on Christ’s way.

And yet, there is still Pippin’s question:  “Where are we going?”

“God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The fellowship that is the Diocese of Hawai‘i is increasingly aware of our mutuality and interdependence. St. Philip’s and Maluhia Lutheran Church were trailblazers in shared ministry.  St. Timothy’s is working with Joy of Christ Lutheran Church sharing a building and looking to a shared mission. Our churches on the Windwardside of Oahu continue to discuss shared ministry and new possibilities of working together – with Emmanuel and St. Matthew’s taking the lead! It will take time, but it has begun.  We are exploring new bounds and possibilities for the fellowship.   The sharing of youth and children’s ministry by the Cathedral congregation and St. Peter’s Church is an example of practical fellowship.  It is becoming clear that with a very few exceptions, the age of congregationalism and isolation has past.  We must share mission with one another, with our Lutheran brothers and sisters, with other Christians, and in outreach and the cause of justice with the faithful of other traditions.  We must be the fellowship of the Diocese of Hawai‘i.  We need one another! “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

It means sharing resources and gifts.  For example, when St. Mark’s had a theologian in residence, his gifts were shared with the clergy of the Diocese at a day devoted to teaching.  Our clergy and lay leaders have lead retreats and workshops for congregations other than the ones they regularly serve.  Congregations have shared speakers and workshop leaders from North America to defray costs and to expand the experience beyond a single site and a single congregation.  We are moving beyond congregationalism to see ourselves as a Diocese in mission -- as a true fellowship on a common pilgrimage: a fellowship on a shared quest for faith.     

St. Clement’s and St. Elizabeth’s are leaders in their neighborhoods making everyone welcome and inviting the community in through outreach ministries, a community garden, a neighborhood market, -- through love.  The Episcopal Church on West Kauai has established a community garden in Kekaha.  Partnering with others, our congregations are feeding the hungry and welcoming the houseless into our churches.  We know that what we cannot go it alone, we must do with others – for the sake of love.    

Where are we going?  

Mr. Bill Skelton, a member of Standing Committee, has agreed to chair a Strategic Planning Task Group. The current vision and very broad goals for the Diocese were adopted in 2004. I will ask this group to work directly with me to develop a clear and shared vision with focused goals and objectives to lead us into next phase of our diocesan life (2012 will be our 150th anniversary as a Diocese). This group needs to include visionaries and task-oriented folk. Most importantly, I want us to spend time in prayer and discernment for God’s will in the mission of the Diocese.  I want folk who will work very hard for one year. We will largely work electronically and around my visits to congregations. I want to have clear goals with measurable accountabilities.  I will use the work of this Task Group to set (with the Standing Committee) my position description and ministry goals for the next five years. It will be used to direct the work and priorities of the Diocesan Council.

As we set these goals for mission, I would like to share my passions and priorities for 2011 – my extraordinary personal calling (beyond being your Shepherd and Chief Pastor) -- as your Bishop and for our fellowship:

1.  I firmly believe that local congregations are the primary mission outposts of the Diocese. The training and empowering of local lay leaders to strengthen congregations is the most important priority for me. We can measure congregational life by looking at average Sunday attendance, outreach activities and speaking the word of justice for the voiceless, formation opportunities to make disciples, creating new worship events, and the willingness to be open to change and new possibilities for mission. Worship, education, outreach and adaptability! This fellowship – the Diocese -- must help every Episcopalian to be a local evangelist of their faith in Jesus Christ expressed through the congregation and for the whole Church.  Yesterday’s Leadership Training Day was an example of the sharing of practical skills.  I welcome the opportunity to teach in every church of this Diocese.  Our resources must go to the raising up, training and empowering lay leaders for this Diocese.  As a beginning, I have included a copy of the book Beyond the Baptismal Covenant:  Transformational Leadership for the Episcopal Church in the 21st Century by Donald Romanik, the President of the Episcopal Church Foundation, in the packets of every clergy and lay delegate.  I hope every church leader in this Diocese will read Mr. Romanik’s book as baseline of language and vision. Please order copies for your vestries and bishop’s committees.  I call on every Episcopalian to be open to leadership in the congregation and in the neighborhood.  I need you to help me find the resources.  I need you to make the time to lead.   

2.  The support and empowerment of ordained leaders is the means to congregational development and expanding mission. Spiritually and emotionally healthy clergy and clergy families are good for the congregations and encourage mission. Priests must be released to be the pastors, teachers and priests for the Church.  Deacons are the servants of the servants of God called to bring the needs of the forgotten and rejected to the attention of the Church.  Clergy are called to be trainers, facilitators, organizers and change agents. The next generation of ordained leaders must be entrepreneurial using the resources at hand to open mission and ministry to all of God’s people.   Continuing education opportunities for clergy must focus on their spiritual lives as “holy women and holy men” called to stand for the fellowship, and on giving clergy the skills to lead and to then get out of the way.  We must continue to call (and educate) deacons and priests in our midst. I am proud of our clergy and those called to be ordained. This fellowship must support our clergy in their spiritual development and growth in ministry.  I encourage every Episcopalian to pray daily for your priest and deacon – and I hope for me.  Be honest with your clergy.  Encourage their continuing education and prayer life.  Care for them.

3.  We must continue to plant new congregations – some in established church sites – and some in places where there is now no Episcopal Church. These new congregations may be to communities not currently Episcopalian (like the Micronesians) or completely unchurched (like most young adults on our islands right now!). We must not be locked into “church” buildings, but know that wherever Christ is praised, the Sacrament shared, the Story of salvation told and the rejected welcomed, there is the true “Church.” We must form opportunities in our fellowship for each generation that create bonds that are deep and genuine.  Fellowships of Christ wherein people can make sense out of the chaos of life and God can be known.  This Diocese – each one of us -- is called to help plant new congregations: inclusive communities of faith in which all of God’s children are welcome and where no one goes loveless and rejected. “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  What can you do?  Ask: Who is my congregation missing in our own neighborhood?  Ask: Why aren’t my children, my neighbors attending my church?  Start a new congregation at a new time!  Be willing to take a risk and spend the money.

4.  I would like this Diocese to be the gateway of The Episcopal Church for Asia and the Pacific. We have a unique geographic location and cultural understanding to help The Episcopal Church understand that the world is not centered in North America or Europe – even at Canterbury. I hope that we can bring about full companion relationships with Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa (the Maori branch of the Anglican Church in New Zealand) and with the Philippine Independent Church. I feel called to help build bonds with those brothers and sisters in Christ, and with Anglicans in Korea and Hong Kong. We have a long-standing relationship with the Anglican Church in Polynesia and the Episcopal Diocese of Taiwan. I am responsible for the Episcopal Church in Micronesia (that means Guam and Saipan right now). While I know that the Church is in need in many parts of the world and that there is much to be done, but from the earliest days of our Diocese, we have been called to serve, share and learn with the Church in the Pacific and Asia. I believe this is still our calling – my calling as the Bishop of Hawai‘i.  We can make a conscious effort to invite others into our congregations.  Is your congregation ready for an intern from the Philippines or Aotearoa?  Are you ready to establish a new congregation in your church reaching out to Pacific islanders or new Asian immigrants?

5.  We can expand the resources of our congregations and subsidiary institutions (Camp Mokule‘ia and St. Andrew’s Priory School) through planned giving and major gifts; and a renewed Diocesan emphasis on the stewardship of our resources. The Diocese becomes stronger as the congregations expand their resources for ministry and mission. We must continue the good work begun and expand planned giving efforts.  I stand ready to ask for major gifts from individuals and foundations for the ministry of the Church.  We must look to ourselves and to our own resources to be about the mission of God.  This fellowship has all that it needs to change the world for Christ! “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  I hope that everyone in this room is tithing – yes, giving 10% of your income – or striving to tithe in a planned way, right now!  You and I are the leaders of this Diocese.  We are the example.  Are you tithing?  Are you working toward the tithe?  Have you remembered the Church in your will?  

As we look to October 11, 2012 and the 150th anniversary of the founding of this Diocese, God is good to have brought us together at this time and in this place to do this work.  God has formed a mighty fellowship. “God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Where are we going?  Into God’s future: the restoration of all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.  The journey will not be easy.  It is a fellowship that will include young and old, the well healed and the strapped, straight and gay, liberal and conservative, the houseless and the comfortable, with many languages and cultures – but together in Christ.  We stand as one.      

He has given us much to do! It is time to come together – come together for Christ! “Pili pa‘a no kāua me ke aloha a mau loa. We come together in love and hope, we stand as one.” 



Amen.