Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Four leaders from different church contexts in Hawai‘i share their realities and reflections related to leading during a liminal season in this panel discussion for the 2022 Church Leaders Event, "Oh God, What Now?"
6:05 - What is the reality that you perceive your church is facing today?
8:17 - What are you or your congregation most fearful about? Is there anything that’s keeping you stuck?
15:56 - What can we experiment with?
20:05 - What was most helpful from the resources we read from Susan Beaumont?
25:12 - How do we best support people in ministry?
30:10 - How do you approach transfiguration?
33:19 - How do you approach unlearning, for yourself and for others?
38:15 - How do you practice group discernment?
This discussion was based on 2 articles by Susan Beaumont:
"Leading in an in-between season"
(faithandleadership.com/susan-beaumont-leading-between-season)
"Innovating Into an Unknown Future"
(congregationalconsulting.org/innovating-into-an-unknown-future/)
About the panelists:
JOHN CARR (Kaua‘i) — John lives on Kaua’i in Lihu’e, with his wife and two sons, where he pastors Līhu‘e Christian Church. He has been a church planter in New Zealand, an associate pastor in Northern Ireland and Kansas City, and an orphan care worker and small business entrepreneur in Haiti.
CASSIE CHEE (O‘ahu) — Cassie Chee (she/her) is a Community Organizer with Faith Action for Community Equity. Her roots are in Okinawa, Korea, and China and her family have been settlers in Hawaiʻi for a few generations. Cassie was raised on Duwamish land (Kirkland, Washington) and now calls Honolulu home. She attends Pearl City Community Church and is building power locally for a more just and loving world.
FLORENTINO CORDOVA (Maui) — Born and raised in rural Eastern New Mexico in a small village called Mosquero, Florentino has been the pastor at Iao UCC since March 2017. Tino's educational journey began with a Certificate of Information Processing Specialist from Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho (1992), BA in Religious Studies from Edgewood College, Madison, Wisconsin (2009), and a Master of Divinity and a Certificate of Sexuality & Religion from Pacific School of Religion (PSR), Berkeley, CA (2013). He was ordained in 2013 through the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and received “standing” in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which was then transferred to the United Church of Christ, Hawai‘i Conference, Tri-Isle Association in Maui. “We encourage others by leading with the example of our actions.” —Rev. Tino Cordova
DEBBIE WONG YUEN (Hawai‘i Island) — Debbie Wong Yuen has been the Licensed Pastor at Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church in Waiohinu, Ka‘u on Hawai‘i Island for ten years, where she has been an active member serving in various positions for more than 25 years. She was born and raised a few years in Kailua, O‘ahu, then her family moved to Hilo, Hawai‘i where she grew up. She and her husband moved to his hometown in Waiohinu, Ka‘u. They later moved to Pahala, Ka‘u where they raised their three children.
This discussion was moderated by Associate Conference Minister Jonathan Roach, and was part of the 2022 Church Leaders Event, an annual event organized by the Formation Missional Team of the Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ.
hcucc.org/church-leaders-event
Four leaders from different church contexts in Hawai‘i share their realities and reflections related to leading during a liminal season in this panel discussion for the 2022 Church Leaders Event, "Oh God, What Now?"
6:05 - What is the reality that you perceive your church is facing today?
8:17 - What are you or your congregation most fearful about? Is there anything that’s keeping you stuck?
15:56 - What can we experiment with?
20:05 - What was most helpful from the resources we read from Susan Beaumont?
25:12 - How do we best support people in ministry?
30:10 - How do you approach transfiguration?
33:19 - How do you approach unlearning, for yourself and for others?
38:15 - How do you practice group discernment?
This discussion was based on 2 articles by Susan Beaumont:
"Leading in an in-between season"
(faithandleadership.com/susan-beaumont-leading-between-season)
"Innovating Into an Unknown Future"
(congregationalconsulting.org/innovating-into-an-unknown-future/)
About the panelists:
JOHN CARR (Kaua‘i) — John lives on Kaua’i in Lihu’e, with his wife and two sons, where he pastors Līhu‘e Christian Church. He has been a church planter in New Zealand, an associate pastor in Northern Ireland and Kansas City, and an orphan care worker and small business entrepreneur in Haiti.
CASSIE CHEE (O‘ahu) — Cassie Chee (she/her) is a Community Organizer with Faith Action for Community Equity. Her roots are in Okinawa, Korea, and China and her family have been settlers in Hawaiʻi for a few generations. Cassie was raised on Duwamish land (Kirkland, Washington) and now calls Honolulu home. She attends Pearl City Community Church and is building power locally for a more just and loving world.
FLORENTINO CORDOVA (Maui) — Born and raised in rural Eastern New Mexico in a small village called Mosquero, Florentino has been the pastor at Iao UCC since March 2017. Tino's educational journey began with a Certificate of Information Processing Specialist from Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho (1992), BA in Religious Studies from Edgewood College, Madison, Wisconsin (2009), and a Master of Divinity and a Certificate of Sexuality & Religion from Pacific School of Religion (PSR), Berkeley, CA (2013). He was ordained in 2013 through the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches and received “standing” in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), which was then transferred to the United Church of Christ, Hawai‘i Conference, Tri-Isle Association in Maui. “We encourage others by leading with the example of our actions.” —Rev. Tino Cordova
DEBBIE WONG YUEN (Hawai‘i Island) — Debbie Wong Yuen has been the Licensed Pastor at Kauaha‘ao Congregational Church in Waiohinu, Ka‘u on Hawai‘i Island for ten years, where she has been an active member serving in various positions for more than 25 years. She was born and raised a few years in Kailua, O‘ahu, then her family moved to Hilo, Hawai‘i where she grew up. She and her husband moved to his hometown in Waiohinu, Ka‘u. They later moved to Pahala, Ka‘u where they raised their three children.
This discussion was moderated by Associate Conference Minister Jonathan Roach, and was part of the 2022 Church Leaders Event, an annual event organized by the Formation Missional Team of the Hawai‘i Conference United Church of Christ.
hcucc.org/church-leaders-event
