‘Hawaii Orthodox Church’ by Anna Combes (annacombes.com)

Mele Kalikimaka!
(Merry Christmas!)

Orthodoxy in Hawaii is growing! Above is a painting of the St. Juvenaly Mission (OCA), which is located in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. This tiny mission began in 2004 and has been growing steadily over the years. It now has a priest (Father George Gray) assigned to shepherd them. The Orthodox presence in Hawaii is tiny, but it is growing. Orthodoxy in America has also been growing. It appears that 2025 has been the year of the “convert surge” with growing numbers of young men, then young families, across the US discovering and embracing Orthdoxy. This is an encouraging sign after recent reports about the decline of religiosity among the younger generation. It appears that what has been a tiny trickle of converts to Orthodoxy has grown into a noticable stream of converts into the Orthodox Church.

 

The Seekers and the Non-Seekers

Adoration of the Magi – Source

In the Nativity narratives in the Gospels, we learn of two groups: one group was seeking for the Christ Child and the other group was not looking for the Christ Child but came looking for Him after being told by the angels. These represent two different kinds of seekers. In Matthew 2:1-12, we are told that wise men from the East came looking for the Christ Child. Although they were religious outsiders, they knew something of the Christ Child and so they embarked on a long journey looking for Him. Also significant is the fact that they came prepared. They brought with them precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They did not fall into the error of ethnocentrism–the belief that “my people” or “my country” is the best in the world and that God has favored “my country” above all the others. They were willing to leave their homeland in search of the Christ Child, who would bring salvation to the nations.

The Shepherds (Source)

In Luke 2:8-20, we are told about the shepherds who were out in the field the night Christ was born. For them it was just a night like other nights. The ordinary cycle of life was shattered when the Archangel appeared before them announcing the birth of the Christ Child in the City of David. Unlike the Magi, the shepherds were not looking for the Christ Child yet they went looking for him in obedience to the Good News proclaimed by the Archangel. Also unlike the Magi, the shepherds were not prepared. They had no precious treasures to present to the Christ Child yet they came. In Luke 2:16, we are told that the shepherds “came with haste.” This contains an important lesson–if God speaks to you, do not delay but respond quickly.

 

It is my prayer that in 2026 we will see many more people come seeking after the Christ Child to worship Him. Many will come to Orthodoxy after a long arduous journey, while others may come to Orthodoxy in haste after God has spoken to them. For those of us who are already Orthodox, let us not grumble as the manger (the local parish) becomes crowded with new faces, but welcome the seekers. Let us tell the seekers: Come and See!

Robert Arakaki

 

References

AP. 2025. YouTube: “As converts find Eastern Orthodoxy online, the church is trying to help them commune in the flesh.” [2:11] 12-December-2025.

Father Josiah Trenham. 2025. YouTube: “Why Are People Converting to Orthodoxy?” [48:19]  May 2025.