Trending
The Rev. Jack E. Belsom is retiring from the ministry after 22 years serving Iao United Church of Christ in Wailuku.
July 26 will be Belsom’s last Sunday at the church, and the 9:30 a.m. worship service will be followed by the church’s usual “Aloha Hour” social afterwards with “Pastor Jack.” For more information about this event, call the church office at 244-7353.
Belsom came to Maui after pastoring a UCC congregation on Kauai for a few years, prior to which he had served a congregation in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He arrived at a time when strong and visionary leadership was needed, with the church – then known as Iao Congregational – struggling through a series of short-term ministers over many years, a church news release said. He contracted to be Iao’s pastor for five years and ended up staying far longer.
He is the church’s longest-serving pastor and led its transformation as an “Open and Affirming” congregation – among the first in the Hawaii Conference of the UCC – following the lead of the national United Church of Christ, a liberal mainstream Protestant denomination that among other things was open to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) folks long before it was trendy. Over his tenure as its pastor, Belsom deepened the Iao church community’s stance toward social justice and diversity.
Under Belsom’s leadership, Iao UCC’s congregation welcomed members of the Micronesian Christian community and today has groups from Kosrae, Yap, Pohnpei and other Micronesian islands. An accomplished musician, Belsom brought a dimension of music, choral and congregational singing to what used to be the traditional Protestant liturgy at the church. He is a composer as well, writing liturgical music for services, notably a song honoring the church’s centennial celebration in 1995.
Belsom has always been an advocate for youth involvement, and generations of youth from Iao UCC were regular participants at state and national youth events of the UCC. Belsom was a leader in the Tri-Isle Mokupuni of the Hawaii Conference UCC, serving as Mokupuni president for several terms.