HCUCC Reconciliation Working Group Calls on Churches to Commemorate the Overthrow

January 17 marks the anniversary of the unlawful overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. The HCUCC Reconciliation Working Group urges churches to remember in their worship on January 17 the Kingdom of Hawai‘i; the unlawful overthrow of the Kingdom and its monarch, Queen Lili‘uokalani; and the apologies of the United Church of Christ for its complicity in the overthrow and the apology of HCUCC for the complicity of some of the officers of its predecessor, the Hawaiian Evangelical Association. In the spirit of reconciliation, we call on our churches to recommit to the promises made in the apologies to join together in addressing past and ongoing injustices affecting the Hawaiian people. In the words of Queen Lili‘uokalani, "Mai poina ‘ole" (Never forget).

Worship on January 17 might include The Queen's Prayer, excerpts from the apologies, and Queen Lili‘uokalani's composition He Mele Lahui Hawaii. Churches are also asked to ring their bells at 12 noon.

On the UCC apology:

• "Why our church apologized to Hawai’i" by Charles McCollough

• Apology by Paul Sherry in conversational form, 1993

• Formal apology given by Paul Sherry, 1993

On the HCUCC apology:

• Apology from the Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ, 1993

• Article about the reparations given by the Hawai‘i Conference