As we continue to prepare for the General Conference in Charlotte, which will begin next month, we’d like to share more about a resolution sponsored by the California-Pacific Conference that calls for our attention and reflection. We invite you to join us in a profound act of acknowledgment and reconciliation.

Queen Lili‘uokalani of Hawaiʻi was illegally overthrown in 1893, an act of violence instigated by non-indigenous businessmen and leaders, supported by US military, and aided by Rev. Dr. Harcourt W. Peck, a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The California-Pacific Conference voted to approve an apology resolution for this illegal overthrow and the participation of The United Methodist Church at our 2018 annual conference. This resolution will come before the General Conference this year thanks to the work of our Acts of Repentance Task Force. The resolution calls for The United Methodist 2020 General Conference to issue a formal acknowledgment and public apology to Native Hawaiians for the church’s complicity in the illegal overthrow.

Together, let us honor the legacy of Queen Lili‘uokalani and stand in solidarity with the Hawaiian community. May our collective actions pave the way for healing, understanding, and a future defined by reconciliation.

Petition 20582-IC-R9999
United Methodist Church Apology for Illegal Overthrow of Hawaiian Kingdom