Waiolaihuiia

WAIOLAIHUI'IA FORMATION PROGRAM

In 2013, the Diocese of Hawai'i developed the formation program, Waiolaihui'ia ("gathering of the waters"), for canonically resident communicants who have been recommended for further discernment and formation toward ordination to Holy Orders. Students who are accepted into Waiolaihui'ia are required to attend 10 weekends per year, as well as complete Pastoral Care education, for a total of 3 1/2 years. Weekends begin on Friday afternoon and conclude on Sunday afternoon.

LESSONETTES FOR CURRENT STUDENTS

Program Description
The program is structured to enable people with full-time jobs to participate in training one weekend a month for three years. The program uses the curriculum designed by The Iona Center at Seminary of the Southwest (Austin, TX). Instruction includes video lectures, reading assignments, on-site discussion and lectures by local instructors. The curriculum includes: Bible, Church History, Theology and Ethics, Anglican Studies, Homiletics, Liturgy and Music, Pastoral Ministry and Offices, Spiritual Practices, Theory and Practice of Ministry, Congregational Life and Leadership, and Multicultural Engagement.

In years one and two, exams are given each Saturday after the academic section. In year three, exams take the form of essays to be written after the weekend session. Typically these are due before the next weekend session.

The demands of the program are rigorous and while sessions are once a month, students should expect to fulfill reading assignments and essay assignments between meeting times. Student work is evaluated using measurements of "does not/meets/exceeds expectations." All exams and related evaluations are filed in the Bishop's office and are available to the Bishop, Commission of Ministry, and Standing Committee.

Contact:

The Rev. Diana Akiyama

For questions about Waiolaihui'ia, please contact the Rev. Diana Akiyama, Dean of Waiolaihui'ia.
For questions about the Commission on Ministry, please contact Carrie-Ann Kokubun, Chair.
For questions about the administrative side of discernment or the ordination process (templates, forms, checklists, etc), please contact Denise Esposito.

Pastoral Care Education
In 2018, the program added Pastoral Care education to the overall training. While this training is similar to traditional Clinical Pastoral Education, it allows more flexibility to accommodate the schedules of bi-vocational students. Students will have 100 contact hours at a local site and they will choose from a broad range of settings in which to practice pastoral care. Settings may be in a nursing home, hospice care, prison, retirement home, or other appropriate site. The instructor for weekly seminars is The Rev. Sarah Knowles Sweeney, Director of Pastoral Care education at The Seminary of the Southwest. Weekly sessions will be conducted via Zoom videoconferencing, allowing the Instructor to be virtually present. The instructor will be physically present for the first and last sessions of the course. The start date for the next course is TBD. Cost for this course: $1,000.00; scholarships are available.

Worship
Each weekend session includes common prayer: Morning Prayer, Noonday, Evening Prayer and Compline. Eucharist is celebrated on Sunday mornings. In their second and third years, students will preach during Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer, according to a rota, and will receive constructive feedback from their instructors and peers.

Note: Those nominated for ordination to the Priesthood may consider attending a residential seminary. Anyone considering, or nominated for ordination to the Priesthood, must consult with Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick before making a decision regarding formation training.

Applying & Logistics:

Applying to Waiolaihui'ia
In order to apply, individuals should have the following:

completed "Introduction to Formation" year (see below)
Bachelors degree (or the equivalent)
be a Nominee in the Diocese of Hawai'i
proficiency in English, writing and speaking, at college level

Acceptance into Waiolaihui'ia confirms the student's commitment to ongoing discernment as they continue to understand God's call. Ordination is not guaranteed upon acceptance to or completion of the program. Students should expect to graduate from the program with a stronger understanding of their unique ministry and the direction they will pursue in fulfillment of their call.

Cost is $2,000 per year to the students; the sponsoring congregation is expected to bear a portion of this cost.

The Application to Waiolaihui'ia can be found HERE.

Accommodations
Weekend sessions are held at St. Anthony's Retreat Center in Honolulu. Students from other islands will stay overnight at the retreat center on these weekends. O'ahu students may opt to stay overnight at the retreat house, space permitting.

Introduction to Formation Year:

This year of study is required for all individuals in discernment for Holy Orders. Sessions take place on a Saturday (10 months a year) from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at St. Anthony's Retreat Center on O'ahu. Participants will learn about the Book of Common Prayer, the Sacraments of the Episcopal Church, Basics of The Bible, Basic Church History and Anglican theology. Personal reflection and developing an individual Rule of Life will be foundational to participation in this year. Involvement in the "Introduction to Formation" year is by invitation only; participating in this year does not guarantee admission into Waiolaihui'ia. Cost for this year of study is $1,000. For more information: contact The Rev. Diana Akiyama, Dean.

Alumni: Class of 2017

Our most recent graduates, Class of 2017, are: Ha'aheo Guanson, Mark Haworth, Fane Lino and Preston Lentz.

On June 11, 2018, three were ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick, at The Cathedral of St. Andrew, Honolulu. They were joined by three others (Christopher Bridges, Jasmine Bostock, and Alison Donahue) that had obtained their MDiv at residential seminaries on the mainland.

All six have since been ordained into the Presbyterate and are serving in churches around the Diocese. To read about our six newest priests that appeared in an E-Chronicle article, click HERE.

Alumni: Inaugural Class of 2015

In October 2015, during the Opening Eucharist for the 47th Annual Meeting of Convention, the first four graduates of the Waiolaihui'ia program were ordained to the Transitional Diaconate in St. Alban's Chapel at 'Iolani School.

Our inaugural graduates are: Phyllis Mahi Beimes, Malcolm Keleawe Hee, Paul Nahoa Lucas, and John Hau'oli Tomoso. Of special note is that all four are of native Hawaiian ancestry, and Beimes is the first woman of Hawaiian ancestry to be ordained in The Episcopal Church.

After serving in churches around the Diocese for at least six months, all four were ordained into the Priesthood in 2016 and currently serve in churches around the Diocese.

(Photos by S. Nishioka from the 47th Annual Meeting of Convention)