BRIEFS
Buddha festival in Chinatown
Advertiser Staff
Buddha's Light International Association Hawaii will celebrate Buddha's Birthday Festival with the theme, "Pray for World Peace."
The festival will begin with a parade at 9:30 a.m. May 10 at A'ala Park. The parade will make its way through Chinatown, ending at a shrine erected for Buddha's birthday at Chinatown's market courtyard. The courtyard is between North King and North Hotel streets.
There will be chantings and prayer from various temples of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Laotian Buddhists, as well as entertainment until 4 p.m.
For more information: 779-8822.
Afro-Americans hold service
The Afro-American Ministerial Alliance of Hawaii will host a service at 7 a.m. Thursday as part of the National Day of Prayer.
The service, to be held at Trinity Baptist Church, 2950 Payne Circle, will have the theme, "Righteousness Exalts a Nation."
For more information, call Houston McLendon, 422-8622.
Faith to elect administrators
The nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai's of the Hawaiian Islands have mailed ballots to the Bahai World Centre in Haifa, Israel, to elect the Universal House of Justice, or the supreme administrative body for its faith. The international election takes place once every five years.
In May, the annual National Bahai Convention for the Hawaiian Islands will be at the Aloha Beach Hotel on Kaua'i. At that time, 57 delegates from Hawai'i will gather to elect the nine members of the National Spiritual Assembly that serves the Hawaiian Islands. Each assembly member has a one-year term.
Nominating, campaigning and electioneering are not allowed in Bahai elections, which are conducted in prayer and by secret ballot.
Free discussion
Professor Tamara Albertini will lead a roundtable of academic and religious leaders discussing "Religions, Religious Fundamentalism and Domestic Terrorism" at 7 p.m. May 28 for the Shunzo Sakamaki Extraordinary Lecture at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics Auditorium.
The free discussion will focus on the relationship between major religious traditions and violence done by extremists.
For more information: 956-3836.
Leaders seminar
Hawaiian Island Ministries and Hawaii Moving Forward is holding a free legal and administrative seminar for ministry leaders from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 14 at First Presbyterian Church, 1822 Ke'eaumoku St.
Speakers include attorneys from the Christian Legal Society. Topics include how to hire and keep good employees, tax issues, for-profit entities, land use and ministry malpractice.
Lunch is not included, but a $7 plate lunch can be pre-ordered. Registration is limited to 150.
For more information: 988-9777
Friendship Day
Women of all faiths are invited to attend the Church Women United's May Friendship Day.
This year's 70th anniversary of May Friendship Day includes the annual collection of the International Fellowship of the Least Coin. Attendees are asked to wear aloha attire and a hat.
The event takes place at 3:30 p.m. May 4 at Keolumana United Methodist Church, 1425 Keolu Drive, Kailua, across from Keolu Elementary School.
Childcare can be arranged (contacting Cherry Jeong, 262-5698). For other information: Janet Harada, 737-2656.
Choral concert
The Lutheran Church of Honolulu will present a "Hail Blest Celicia" choral music concert, featuring the music of Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) at 7:30 p.m. May 4 at the church, 1730 Punahou St.
Britten studied at the Royal College of Music and composed music for opera, orchestra, chamber ensembles, vocal solos and choir. Two choirs will be performing.
Tickets are $15 ($12 seniors, $10 students). For more information: 941-2566.
