Kawaiaha'o pastor resigns after 15 months

Associated Press

The Rev. James Fung has resigned as pastor of historic Kawaiaha'o Church after only 15 months on the job.

The church's board of trustees unanimously accepted the resignation Friday night, and Fung was to announce his decision to the congregation today.

Fung said in a letter to the congregation that his last sermon will be delivered on Nov. 25, and he will start work as senior pastor at the Center Congregational Church in Torrington, Conn., on Dec. 1.

Fung said in the letter that when he began at Kawaiaha'o, he believed he would "grow old and die here." But he said God is calling him somewhere else.

In the letter, Fung said the match between a pastor and congregation needs to be "a really good fit." He says he came to realize that "my gifts for ministry and Kawaiaha'o Church's dreams don't seem to be a close enough match."

Fung was selected after a three-year search for a replacement for the former pastor, the Rev. William Kaina, who retired.

Fung grew up at Kawaiaha'o and is a graduate of the Kamehameha Schools. Before returning to Hawaii, he served more than 25 years at churches in Connecticut and Michigan.

Church members Brickwood Galuteria said the search for the next pastor should not take as long because candidates from the last search can be contacted again. Church bylaws require that the pastor be of Hawaiian ancestry and speak Hawaiian.