Hanapepe
Hawaii
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Hanapepe United Church Of Christ
History
Our church was started in 1890 as a mission station in Hanapepe, Kauai, Kingdom of Hawaii. Four years later, the Reverend Ichimen Eguchi relocated the station to Makaweli, Camp 2, a village of sugar plantation contract laborers. The mission station was registered in 1896 as the Hanapepe Japanese Christian Church by the Hawaiian Evangelical Association, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. The station remained in Makaweli, Camp 2, in the care of six successive missionaries until July 1912, when it was relocated to Hanapepe town. One of the missionaries, the Reverend Shigeru Nohara, who served from 1897 through 1900, established the first Japanese language school on Kauai.
Construction of the permanent church facilities was started in 1914 during the pastorate of the Reverend T. Ohho. The sanctuary, parsonage, and kindergarten classrooms were dedicated on January 3, 1915.
The Reverends Ichiro Takahashi and Lloyd Hall were among those who served Hanapepe Japanese Christian Church during the period 1918-26. The Reverend Kiei Endo served as pastor from 1927-29. He was succeeded by the Reverend Isobar Saki who served for seven years, 1929-36.
The Reverend Macao Yamaha served from 1937 until 1942 when he enlisted in the United States Chaplain Corps during World War II. Reverend Yamaha had been converted to the Christian faith by the Reverend Niamiya, who had been assigned to Hanapepe from 1917-18. The Hanapepe Japanese Christian Church was renamed the Hanapepe Christian Church in 1942 because the appellation "Japanese" had become anathema following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
The Hanapepe Christian Church was supplied by pastors from the West Kauai Larger Waimea Parish Council during the period 1942-46. The Reverends Paul L. Denise, Abrahama Akaka, Yaichi Suzuki, and Daniel W. Boxwell supplied the pulpit during those years.
The Reverend Theodore Chinen accepted the call to the Hanapepe Christian Church in 1947 and served until 1951. The present sanctuary was built in 1947 to replace the deteriorating church buildings in Hanapepe town.
In the 1950s, the Reverends Lawrence Zdvoracek and John Beck served as pastors. The stained glass Peace Windows were installed above the chancel and dedicated on November 15, 1951. Reverend Beck was called under an agreement to serve both the Hanapepe Christian and Hanapepe Hawaiian Protestant churches which had begun their yoked arrangement in 1959.
The Reverend Dr. Hendryk "Harry" Martynse, called in 1960, conceived and spearheaded the project to build an education building. His vision was that the education building, located in the civic center of Hanapepe, would serve the needs of all the people of Hanapepe and the adjacent communities. Reverend Martynse was the architect, procurer of building materials and supplies, and the organizer of an army of church members and friends who erected the building.
With the completion of the education building in 1961, the church school in the original church complex in Hanapepe town was closed. The children and members celebrated the re-opening of the church school with a grand parade from the old to the new facilities.
The Reverend David Kaupu served as pastor from 1963 to January 31, 1970 when he accepted the call to serve on the staff of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Reverend Christian A. Tirre accepted the call in July 1970 serve both the Hanapepe Christian and Hanapepe Hawaiian Protestant churches which were still yoked. Reverend Tirre served until July 1980. During his pastorate, the church became the Hanapepe United Church of Christ. In 1973, the stained glass window above the sanctuary entrance was installed and dedicated. Faceted colored glass windows replaced the glass-paned windows in the sanctuary in 1975, through the labor of members and friends.
From 1980 through 1986, the yoked churches were served by the Reverend James Hazen, the Reverend Richard Monroe, and interim pastors, the Reverends Lincoln Wirtz, Homer Schwarz, and Rex Knowles.
On August 1, 1986, the Reverend Dr. Jack E. Belsom accepted the call. The Hanapepe UCC celebrated its centennial in 1990, a grand occasion that reunited many former pastors and members with fond remembrances of the past. The yoked churches decided to end their arrangement of more than thirty years of collaborative and supportive ministry. The Hanapepe First UCC wished to reestablish its primary roots as a Native Hawaiian Church.
After Reverend Belsom's resignation in July 1992, the Reverend Caroline Carr was installed as pastor on October 1, 1992. The church was recovering from the effects of Hurricane Iniki on September 11, 1992. The completion of the repairs to the parsonage, sanctuary, and education building was celebrated in 1994. The transformation of the latter building was especially noteworthy, thanks in large measure to the vision, diligence and leadership of church member, Masao Nakashima.
The Reverend Ronald F. K. Ching of Honolulu served as intentional interim pastor from February through November 1997 after Reverend Carr's resignation.
The church was better prepared when it called the Reverend Mitchell Young on December 1, 1997. The church became a first wave participant in February 1999 in the five-year long New Christian Initiative designed to establish missional churches. The Covenantal Agreement Between Hanapepe UCC and Reverend Mitchell Young was extended on December 1, 2000 and again on December 1, 2003. In 2004, Pastor Young accepted a call to pastor a church in Californa.
While searching for a new pastor, Rev. Bob Ganung filled in as interim pastor. Rev. Ganung was passionate about religions blending together. He brought a unique blend of Christianity and Buddhism to his sermons and reminded us of the simularites between these two faiths.
On October 29th, 2006, Rev. Dr. Phyllis Meighen's was installed as the new pastor for Hanapepe United Church Of Christ.
Our church was started in 1890 as a mission station in Hanapepe, Kauai, Kingdom of Hawaii. Four years later, the Reverend Ichimen Eguchi relocated the station to Makaweli, Camp 2, a village of sugar plantation contract laborers. The mission station was registered in 1896 as the Hanapepe Japanese Christian Church by the Hawaiian Evangelical Association, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. The station remained in Makaweli, Camp 2, in the care of six successive missionaries until July 1912, when it was relocated to Hanapepe town. One of the missionaries, the Reverend Shigeru Nohara, who served from 1897 through 1900, established the first Japanese language school on Kauai.
Construction of the permanent church facilities was started in 1914 during the pastorate of the Reverend T. Ohho. The sanctuary, parsonage, and kindergarten classrooms were dedicated on January 3, 1915.
The Reverends Ichiro Takahashi and Lloyd Hall were among those who served Hanapepe Japanese Christian Church during the period 1918-26. The Reverend Kiei Endo served as pastor from 1927-29. He was succeeded by the Reverend Isobar Saki who served for seven years, 1929-36.
The Reverend Macao Yamaha served from 1937 until 1942 when he enlisted in the United States Chaplain Corps during World War II. Reverend Yamaha had been converted to the Christian faith by the Reverend Niamiya, who had been assigned to Hanapepe from 1917-18. The Hanapepe Japanese Christian Church was renamed the Hanapepe Christian Church in 1942 because the appellation "Japanese" had become anathema following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
The Hanapepe Christian Church was supplied by pastors from the West Kauai Larger Waimea Parish Council during the period 1942-46. The Reverends Paul L. Denise, Abrahama Akaka, Yaichi Suzuki, and Daniel W. Boxwell supplied the pulpit during those years.
The Reverend Theodore Chinen accepted the call to the Hanapepe Christian Church in 1947 and served until 1951. The present sanctuary was built in 1947 to replace the deteriorating church buildings in Hanapepe town.
In the 1950s, the Reverends Lawrence Zdvoracek and John Beck served as pastors. The stained glass Peace Windows were installed above the chancel and dedicated on November 15, 1951. Reverend Beck was called under an agreement to serve both the Hanapepe Christian and Hanapepe Hawaiian Protestant churches which had begun their yoked arrangement in 1959.
The Reverend Dr. Hendryk "Harry" Martynse, called in 1960, conceived and spearheaded the project to build an education building. His vision was that the education building, located in the civic center of Hanapepe, would serve the needs of all the people of Hanapepe and the adjacent communities. Reverend Martynse was the architect, procurer of building materials and supplies, and the organizer of an army of church members and friends who erected the building.
With the completion of the education building in 1961, the church school in the original church complex in Hanapepe town was closed. The children and members celebrated the re-opening of the church school with a grand parade from the old to the new facilities.
The Reverend David Kaupu served as pastor from 1963 to January 31, 1970 when he accepted the call to serve on the staff of the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ located in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Reverend Christian A. Tirre accepted the call in July 1970 serve both the Hanapepe Christian and Hanapepe Hawaiian Protestant churches which were still yoked. Reverend Tirre served until July 1980. During his pastorate, the church became the Hanapepe United Church of Christ. In 1973, the stained glass window above the sanctuary entrance was installed and dedicated. Faceted colored glass windows replaced the glass-paned windows in the sanctuary in 1975, through the labor of members and friends.
From 1980 through 1986, the yoked churches were served by the Reverend James Hazen, the Reverend Richard Monroe, and interim pastors, the Reverends Lincoln Wirtz, Homer Schwarz, and Rex Knowles.
On August 1, 1986, the Reverend Dr. Jack E. Belsom accepted the call. The Hanapepe UCC celebrated its centennial in 1990, a grand occasion that reunited many former pastors and members with fond remembrances of the past. The yoked churches decided to end their arrangement of more than thirty years of collaborative and supportive ministry. The Hanapepe First UCC wished to reestablish its primary roots as a Native Hawaiian Church.
After Reverend Belsom's resignation in July 1992, the Reverend Caroline Carr was installed as pastor on October 1, 1992. The church was recovering from the effects of Hurricane Iniki on September 11, 1992. The completion of the repairs to the parsonage, sanctuary, and education building was celebrated in 1994. The transformation of the latter building was especially noteworthy, thanks in large measure to the vision, diligence and leadership of church member, Masao Nakashima.
The Reverend Ronald F. K. Ching of Honolulu served as intentional interim pastor from February through November 1997 after Reverend Carr's resignation.
The church was better prepared when it called the Reverend Mitchell Young on December 1, 1997. The church became a first wave participant in February 1999 in the five-year long New Christian Initiative designed to establish missional churches. The Covenantal Agreement Between Hanapepe UCC and Reverend Mitchell Young was extended on December 1, 2000 and again on December 1, 2003. In 2004, Pastor Young accepted a call to pastor a church in Californa.
While searching for a new pastor, Rev. Bob Ganung filled in as interim pastor. Rev. Ganung was passionate about religions blending together. He brought a unique blend of Christianity and Buddhism to his sermons and reminded us of the simularites between these two faiths.
On October 29th, 2006, Rev. Dr. Phyllis Meighen's was installed as the new pastor for Hanapepe United Church Of Christ.