CONVENTION 56
​56th Annual Meeting of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaiʻi
Friday-Saturday, October 11-12, 2024
The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu, HI

Convention 56 Quick Links:

CONVENTION 56 THEME:
In Thanksgiving for the Ministry of Women in the Episcopal Church

This year marks the 50th anniversary of women being ordained in The Episcopal Church, and is part of the reason for this year's Convention theme.  Women have long played a key role in the life of the church whether lay or ordained, and we commemorate all women for their contribution, service, and dedication.  This year's logo represents women of faith in the islands, and the pink rose, which is one of Queen Emma's favorite flowers, is also the official flower of Maui, as we continue to keep those affected in our prayers.  The color green is incorporated to represent our commitment to care for the environment and Mother Earth.
Theme Scripture Verse
"You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”   Galatians 3:26-28
​Collect of the Day
​Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
​Ezekiel 34:1-6, 20-22
​The word of the Lord came to me:  Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: To the shepherds—thus says the Lord God: Woe, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat; you clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatted calves, but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak; you have not healed the sick; you have not bound up the injured; you have not brought back the strays; you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them…. Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged, and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
​Psalm 12:1-7
​1 Help me, Lord, for there is no godly one left; *
the faithful have vanished from among us.

2 Everyone speaks falsely with his neighbor; *
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.

3 Oh, that the Lord would cut off all smooth tongues, *
and close the lips that utter proud boasts!

4 Those who say, "With our tongue will we prevail; *
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"

5 "Because the needy are oppressed,
and the poor cry out in misery, *
I will rise up," says the Lord,
"and give them the help they long for."

6 The words of the Lord are pure words, *
like silver refined from ore
and purified seven times in the fire.

7 O Lord, watch over us *
and save us from this generation for ever.
​Galatians 3:23-29
​Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be reckoned as righteous by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
​Matthew 21:12-16
​Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of robbers.” The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did and heard the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself’?”

Convention 56 Chaplain

The Diocese is thrilled to welcome the Right Reverend Diana Akiyama, Bishop of Western Oregon, as our Convention Chaplain.  It is a homecoming of sorts having served as the Vicar of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church on the Big Island, from 2015, before being called to Oregon in 2020. 

Bishop Akiyama's presence at this year's Convention is especially meaningful as we celebrate women in ministry. She was the first Japanese-American woman ordained to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church in 1989, and again made history as the first Japanese-American woman Bishop.  She also served as the Dean of Waiolaihui'ia, the Diocese's formation program, and a number of governance committees and Diocesan ministries. Her contributions to the Diocese have been immeasurable.  When she was consecrated in January 2021, in the midst of COVID, we still celebrated alongside her from afar! (See: Chronicle, September 2020; Chronicle, February 9, 2021, and February 23, 2021). 
Aloha & welcome back Bishop Diana Akiyama!

Bishop's Letter to the Convention

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Bishop's letter to all members (elected lay delegates of congregations, clergy of denomination in full common with the Episcopal Church in Hawai‘i and installed as Rector, Vicar, etc as per diocesan Canon 1.1) of the Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Hawai‘i.  Click HERE

Bishop's Report to the Convention

READ THE BISHOP'S REPORT HERE

Contact Information

For questions about the Annual Meeting and all related events, contact:  Rae Costa in the Diocesan Support Center at (808) 536-7776, ext. 326, or contact her by clicking here.

Legal Documents

To see a copy of the legal documents for The Episcopal Church in Hawai‘i, including the Constitution and Canons, please visit the "Legal" section on the "Forms and Documents" page.

e-Workbook Documents

Workbook: (Coming in October)
  • Full e-Workbook 
  • Abbreviated e-Workbook (agenda, resolutions, sample ballots, budget numbers, and closing song)
​​Budget: 
Nominations:  See further below for descriptions of positions and link to the candidates.

Resolutions:  See further below.
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Nominations

Diocesan Council:  Exercises the power of the Convention and performs planning and policy-making between meetings of Convention. Oversees the policies, programs, mission, and budget of the Diocese and may initiate new work. Also is the legal corporate body of the Episcopal Church in Hawai‘i and, as such, is responsible for the business and property of the Church. This is the Board of Directors of the Diocese.  VIEW CANDIDATES HERE

Standing Committee:  Serves as the Bishop’s Council of Advice. Performs duties as specified by the General and Diocesan Convention, and the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Hawai‘i. Serves as the Ecclesiastical authority when there is no Bishop.  VIEW CANDIDATES HERE

Cathedral Chapter:  Serves as the oversight body for The Cathedral of St. Andrew (both as a congregation and as the seat of the Bishop). VIEW CANDIDATES HERE

Secretary of the Convention:  Records minutes, enters them in the Journal, and, under the supervision of the Bishop, attends to the publication and distribution of the Journal, and performs other duties as prescribed in the Diocesan Constitution and Canons. Chairs the Committee on Convention Plans for planning the agenda and making physical arrangements for the Convention. Maintains various directories of Diocesan officers, commissions, departments, etc.  VIEW CANDIDATE HERE
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Resolutions

The following proposed resolutions were received by the online submission deadline of August 28. All other resolutions must be presented from the floor during the Annual Meeting. Click on the Resolution hyperlinks to view.
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CONVENTION 56 SCHEDULE
(Tentative)

​Education Day:  Discipleship
​Friday, October 11

​8:45 AM - 9:30 AM, Registration
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM, Plenary Session
11:30 AM - Lunch
12:15 PM - 2:30 PM, Afternoon Session 1
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM, Break-Out Sessions

4:15 PM - Opening Eucharist
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​5:30 PM - Aloha Reception
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​56th Annual Meeting of
​The Episcopal Diocese of Hawai'i
Saturday, October 12
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM  Credentials Check-in
8:30AM - Check-in CLOSED

8:45 AM
56th Annual Meeting of Convention is called to order.
(There will be breaks as needed and a half hour lunch.)

​4:00 PM Meeting Concludes
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Registration, Forms & Reports

Registration fees - Register on time to avoid higher fees!

Education Day:
  • On or before Oct. 7: $40 per person
  • At the door: $60 per person
Aloha Reception:
  • On or before Oct. 7: $20 per person
  • At the door: $40 per person
Annual Meeting: 
  • On or before Oct. 7: $70 per person
  • ​At the door: $100 per person
Registration and Credentials
  • ​Individual Registration Form​ - now open. Please register as soon as possible.  Registrations are transferrable (contact Rae Costa).  Online registration will close at 12 am on 10/8/2024.  After that registrations will be at the door and the registration fees will be significantly higher.
  • Delegate Change Form -  If a Delegate that you elected in January is no longer able to attend.  Per Diocesan Canons, Sec. 2.4. In the case of failure of one or more delegates or alternates from any Parish or Mission to attend the Convention, the Rector, Vicar, or Priest-in-Charge of such congregation shall have the power to appoint alternates to replace them. In the absence of such Rector, Vicar, or Priest-in-Charge, or such person’s failure to act, the power of appointment shall fall to the Wardens in order of precedence. In the event there be no Wardens, or upon their failure to act, the power of appointment shall fall to the Bishop. Any such appointments shall be promptly
    reported to the Committee on Credentials. complete the Delegate Change Form to change an elected Alternate to an elected Delegate OR if a Delegate that you elected in January is no longer able to attend AND none of the alternates you elected are able to attend or you did not elect any alternates.
  • Changes to Alternates do not need to be reported.
Travel Costs 
The congregations of the Diocese share the costs of travel for the lay and clergy delegates (not alternates). The below documents that explain this practice and that detail the cost to each congregation will be posted at a later date. 
  • Shared Travel Memo - Explains the practice of sharing travel and shows how the calculation was done. Includes a description of the procedures for arranging travel and a link to the interisland air reservation form. 
  • Shared Travel Assessment - Details the cost to each congregation and is included in the above Shared Travel Memo.  
Hotel and Ground Transportation
The Diocese does not provide funds for hotel or ground transportation.
Resolutions
  • Resolution Cover Letter - The memo stating how to submit resolutions to the Convention and when the deadline is.
  • How to Write a Resolution - A document describing what information to include when writing a Resolution.
  • Resolution Form - Online deadline submission has passed. Any new resolutions must be made from the floor during the Annual Meeting. Please see next item below.
  • Considering Resolutions After the Deadline - A one-page document describing procedures for Resolutions submitted after the 45-day deadline.
Nominations
  • Nominations Cover Letter -  What leadership vacancies are coming up? What type of person should the leader be? How is someone nominated? A letter to get those questions, and more, answered.
  • Nominations Office Descriptions - This document describes the functions, commitments, meetings, qualifications, etc. for vacant offices on the Diocesan Council, Standing Committee, Cathedral Chapter, and for Secretary of the Convention.
  • Nomination Form Online - Online deadline submission has passed. Any new nominations must be made from the floor during the Annual Meeting.  One need not be present to be nominated from the floor.  However, the person must consent to be nominated.
Necrology Reporting
  • Necrology Letter -  Instructions on how to report the names of those in your congregation who died from September 1, 2023 through Aug. 31, 2024 (inclusive). 
  • Necrology Reporting Form Submission Deadline will be 11:59 pm Friday, Sept. 13 for the names to be presented. 
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Other helpful info... (more coming soon)

LODGING: 
Within the downtown Honolulu area, there are two hotels within walking distance to The Cathedral:Many hotels with Kama'aina rates and special discounts are located further away or in Waikiki.  The Ala Moana Hotel is a local favorite, next to the Ala Moana Shopping Center.
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