A small group walked off the bus at Mauna ‘Ala, a cemetery where kings and queens are buried in Honolulu, Hawaii.
“Stop, stop,” a woman called out. “This is a special place. You have to enter the right way.”
Katie Douglass, associate professor of educational ministry and practical theology, assured her that this group — of SPU seminary students and Seattle church leaders — knew how to show respect.
“I will welcome you in the formal way and you will declare your intention,” the host said before breaking out in song in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.
“Now it’s your turn,” she said, motioning to Douglass as the leader.
“I had no idea what to do,” Douglass said, so she began to ramble about honoring stories and hearing about the vibrant faith of the kings and queens.
“Finally, she cut me off, because I wasn’t doing it right,” Douglass said with a laugh. “I later learned I was supposed to sing. It was disorienting. There were many moments like that. We were making a real effort to be good guests, to honor the land, to be kind.”
The group of graduate students and those involved in the Faith Formation Project went to Moloka’i and Oahu last year to learn about the complicated history of colonization and evangelism. The main focus was Moloka’i, where more than 8,000 people were isolated during 1866-1969 because of leprosy (now called Hansen’s disease). The group considered the question, “What role do Christian communities play in helping families heal?”
Studying history from the viewpoint of Hawaiians before the trip, participants relied on local expert guides and Native-owned businesses as they traveled.
“We came with a posture of humility and curiosity that was honored and blessed,” said Tiffany Acker, program director of the Faith Formation Project.
The catalyst for the recurring pilgrimage is a $1 million faith formation grant that Douglass received from the Lilly Endowment. In addition to the Hawaii trips, the Faith Formation Project studies Christian parenting and partners with local churches to help children and youth grow in faith. A new group will return to Hawaii this year.
“The grant is meant to build a learning community around some of the most difficult things in ministry,” Douglass said.
Professor of Biblical Studies Sara Koenig said she hopes students build a tolerance for complexity as they see different sides to historical stories.
“Listening to stories without jumping to judgment is a big part of what we hope our ministers do,” Koenig said.
Seminary graduate Allie Miller MDiv ’26 has been on about 10 short-term ministry trips and lived in Portugal for more than four years.
“I’d never felt as connected to the land as I did on this trip,” she said.
She snorkeled, paddled traditional canoes, swam near waterfalls, and pulled weeds while thigh-deep in mud at a taro and fish farm.
“All of it felt like it was done with the purpose of understanding Hawaii,” Miller said. “We heard stories from multiple sides and asked, ‘What does reconciliation mean?’”
Miller currently works as a ministry director at Faith Church in Issaquah and is working on launching her own adventure and faith formation ministry for young adults called Wayfinders. It’s something she’s thought about for a long time and is planning to host her first retreat.
“Dr. Douglass is a dreamer and I resonate with her outlook on life. The Hawaii trip gave me this extra push of ‘it can be done,’” Miller said. “It pushed me out of the dreaming phase.”
Learm more about Seattle Pacific Seminary and the Faith Formation Project.
