May 2025 – Reflections from David & Jonathan
- Hawai‘i Conference Office
- May 31
- 5 min read
Our Conference Minister, David Popham, and Associate Conference Minister, Jonathan Roach, take turns sharing reflections each week in our Coconut Wireless e-newsletter. Read their reflections for the month of May 2025 here!
Pacific School of Religion: Empowering Congregations for a Transformative Future
David K. Popham, Conference Minister
The Congregational Renewal Cohort program at Pacific School of Religion (PSR) is designed to equip church leaders with the tools, insights, and community support needed to thrive in today's rapidly changing world.
This ten-month journey is designed to be more than a course—it is designed to be a movement. With a curriculum that includes "Spiritual Formation," "Transformative Leadership," "Design Thinking for Social Change," and more, participants will engage in theological reflection and practical innovation. The program supports churches serving marginalized and under-resourced communities while fostering adaptive leadership and strategic vision.
Each congregation will identify three to five congregants to be a part of this cohort. Participants commit 10–12 hours per month and emerge with a Certificate in Theological Education for Leadership, a renewal project blueprint, and a revitalized sense of mission and impact.
Ideal candidates are congregations with a heart for justice, a culture of lay-clergy collaboration, and a desire for long-term personal and communal spiritual transformation—not quick fixes.
David Vásquez-Levy, President of PSR, will have information at the 'Aha Pae'āina and will host a breakfast conversation on Friday morning (look for the table with balloons). You can explore more about the Congregational Renewal Cohort program HERE.
Please note: individuals wishing to obtain the Certificate in Theological Education for Leadership may also enroll in this program, as the former CTEL design has sunset.
Postcolonial Myths
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
When I was in college, I studied a lot of postcolonial literature and explored processes of decolonization on both the practical and theoretical levels; today, nearly 30 years later, colonialism has again been in the news. A recent column in The Christian Century by theologian Stephanie Perdew pointed out "we are not living in a postcolonial world." And another recent take on the new colonialism is by journalist Karen Hao who has been discussing her new book, Empire of AI.
Terms like "postcolonial" and "decolonization" tend to portray colonialization as something that happened in the past. These terms suggest that maybe we are still dealing with the aftereffects of it but for many people terms like these give them permission to believe that we have overcome colonialization. But we have not. Colonialism is an evil that has existed for millennia and continues to raise its ugly reality today.
Jesus lived in an occupied nation for his entire earthly ministry even when his family fled to Egypt. And as long as we have empires, whether they are nations or multi-national corporations, we, the church with Jesus as our head, will be challenged to respond and take action. We have examples from the prophets of old in our holy scriptures and the models of modern prophets who have lived and died for the Gospel within living memory. I hope in the week ahead that you find some time to explore and discern how God is still speaking to you and your community of faith to confront this evil again!
Stephaine Perdew, May 2025, The Christian Century, available: https://www.christiancentury.org/voices/we-are-not-living-postcolonial-world
Karen Hao discusses her book Empire of AI on All Things Considered, May 20, 2025, available: https://www.wkyufm.org/2025-05-20/journalist-karen-hao-discusses-her-book-empire-of-ai
Updates from the Conference Council Meeting
David K. Popham, Conference Minister
The Conference Council met on Saturday, May 3rd. These are the highlights of the meeting:
Mahalo for the wisdom and service of those members rotating off the Council: Barry Mick, Keoki Kiwaha, Brian Welsh, Marilyn Hasegawa, Debbie Wong Yuen
Affirmation of balanced budget to be brought to the 'Aha Pae'āina
Accepted the June 30, 2024 audited and consolidated financial statements of the Conference and the Conference Foundation
Received updates on Faith Forward Capital Campaign
Approved July 20 – August 20 as the dates for the Conference Minister's 2025 sabbatical month
Affirmed Business Agenda, Rules of Procedures, and Justice and Witness Resolution "Calling for the HCUCC to Oppose the 2025 Immigration Rollbacks and Support Immigrants, Refugees, and Pacific Island Communities." Affirmed that if this resolution receives a positive vote at the 'Aha Pae'āina, the Conference Minister is empowered to sign onto a similar resolution if it comes before the General Synod of the UCC
Received reports by the Conference Minister, Associate Conference Minister, Foundation Executive Director, Missional Teams, Associations, and the State Council of Hawaiian Congregational Churches
The discussion of self-determination of the Association of Hawaiian Evangelical Churches (AHEC) was entered into and then postponed since a misunderstanding of starting time prevented AHEC representation at this Council meeting
The Council is the HCUCC governing board and meets five times a year: once a quarter and immediately following the close of the 'Aha Pae'āina. It is composed of the Conference Officers, Association Presidents, Mission Team Chairs, two at-large youth/young adults, State Council president, and voice-without-vote ex officio members.
Seeds of Mana'olana (Hope)
Jonathan Roach, Associate Conference Minister
On April 22nd I attended the Pū'ā Foundation's open house at their Punahoa Heritage Forest and the Papali Street properties. I was blessed to get down on my hands and knees, dig my hands into the soil, and plant 'ōhi'a that have shown resistance to Rapid 'Ōhi'a Death (ROD), which is a deadly fungal disease killing 'ōhi'a.
At the event, the biologists explained that the 'ōhi'a we planted were carefully selected as the most ROD resistant. They had gone into 'ōhi'a forests devastated by ROD looking for trees which were still thriving in spite of the disease. Then they grew cuttings from those healthy 'ōhi'a and exposed them to the pathogen that causes ROD to see which ones didn't catch it. They selected those 'ōhi'a which were resistant to be planted at sites including Papali Street where those trees can spread seeds of hope and their disease-resistant genetics.
As a follower of Jesus, I take very seriously the divine mandate to be good stewards of this precious Earth. On Sunday, my family and I hiked the Pu'u 'Ō'ō Trail and witnessed hundreds of dead and dying 'ōhi'a which wounds my soul. But I am optimistic that the 'ōhi'a we planted will reseed forests with seeds of hope for hundreds of years even after I am long dead. I pray that ke Akua will use our small effort and the efforts of many others to ensure that hundreds of year from now, birds will jump from 'ōhi'a to 'ōhi'a and future generations will appreciate the awe of the 'ōhi'a. Plant seeds of mana'olana!
