John Honoli’i ‘First Born’ of the Hawaiian Church

by Nicholas A. Freeman

Just off High Street in Wailuku, Maui, next to Honoli’i Park, its namesake John Honoli’i rests in the Kaahumanu Church cemetery. Honoli’i was one of the first Hawaiians to receive Christ and become a Protestant missionary to the Hawaiian people. While much has been written about Henry Obookiah and even Thomas Hopu, very little has been published regarding the extraordinary and noteworthy life of John Honoli’i.  The following is but a brief overview of his life and ministry.

Very little is known of his early years in Hawaii, and most historical accounts begin with his traveling aboard a supply ship to America as a teenager in the year 1815. After arriving in Boston, for the next few years he spent time with various families in the Northeast, learning the English language and was exposed to Christian beliefs though not yet convinced. Later, he was visited by Thomas Hopu who had himself believed on Christ along with Obookiah and had traveled to America several years earlier. Hopu walked sixty miles on foot to share the gospel with him. In May 1816 after the seeds took affect from Hopu’s witness, he began to be convicted of his sin and gave his heart to Christ that summer (A Narrative of Five Youths from the Sandwich Islands). Shortly after, being convinced of the need for Christ of his brethren back home, he traveled to Cornwell Foreign Mission School which he attended from 1817-1819 and became close friends with both Hopu and Obookiah along with other fellow Hawaiians. There he studied for his future ministry of reaching Hawaii with the gospel of Christ.

After their training was completed and the unfortunate early death of Obookiah, Honoli’i, Hopu and others traveled with the first missionary group to the Hawaiian Islands in 1820. When they arrived, Honoli’i was one of two Hawaiians who first stepped back on their native soil with the gospel message as the missionaries waited anxiously in the harbor. He and Thomas Hopu spoke to the royal family, which also had Puaaiki in attendance, and discovered the startling news that the King had died and that the Kapu system was no more. For the first three years after the missionaries landed, Honoli’i and Hopu were the primary interpreters who enabled them to share the Gospel message with the Hawaiian ali’i and people at various locations.  

In the beginning he was stationed at Honolulu, and assisted Hiram and Sybil Bingham in starting the first school (A Century of Public Education in Hawaii, Benjamin Wist, p.20) and later he participated in a tour of the island with the missionaries, which entailed seeking out new mission locations as well as preaching the gospel (Sandwich Islands Mission_1822-1822_Journal_v.3_ hmha.missionhouses.org). While still on Oahu, he visited the sickly and destitute Puaaiki (Blind Bartimeus), shared Christ with him and took him to the house of God. This one act of kindness would result in perhaps the most effective Hawaiian preacher of the nineteenth century coming to Christ, which would in turn lead to the later conversion of David Malo and many others (Christian work v.4, no.1, 1867, p.57)

Later in 1821, he is found at Kauai, being left by Bingham to instruct the King, interpreting for Missionary Whitney and sharing the gospel in detail with Kaumualii. (Bingham, Twenty Years, p.133) Bingham later wrote that both Honoli’i and Hopu were “found to be very trustworthy, in communicating the uncompromising claims and the spirit-searching truths of revealed religion.” (Bingham, Twenty Years Residence, p.103). 

In 1823, he traveled to the island of Molokai to attend to the Queen on her tour, assisting in teaching her and the pupils in her train. Later that year, while serving on Kailua, Hawaii, he started the first Sunday school on the Island while assisting Missionary Thurston at the new station, who stated, “Honoli’i was to me what Aaron was to Moses…in teaching the children of God.” (Life and times of Mrs. Lucy G. Thurston, p. 87)

 A few months later, he was sent by the mission to Kaawaloa, just South of Kailua, to assist Chiefess Kapiolani and Missionary Ely in planting a new church and school (Sandwich Islands Mission_1823-1824_Journal_v.5, hmha.missionhouses.org). While serving there, both teaching and preaching, he was able to share the gospel with Chief Maalo and to encourage him to have his people rest on the Sabbath day (Missionary Letters to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (A. B. C. F. M.) - Volume 03 - 1824-1830).

As he continued to serve, he was still regularly traveling to other stations to preach God’s word as needed, and in 1824 we find him in Lahaina, Maui preaching to the native church (Sandwich Islands Mission_1824-1825_Journal_v.6). In 1826, while serving in Hilo, Hawaii, he left Rev. Goodrich and traveled with Rev. Artemis Bishop across the entire Hawaii and Molokai islands, again searching for potential mission stations, interpreting along the way, and building a bond for Christianity among his fellow Hawaiians. (The Friend, 04/1892)

In 1825, we find him back in Hilo assisting Rev. Goodrich once again, whom he was aiding in an early translation of the gospel of John (Chamberlain, Levi – Journal, Vol. 5 - 1825.06.27 - 1826.04.14, hmha.missionhouses.org). With Honoli’i’s help, Goodrich reported back to the mission of the great potential for the Hilo area and suggested to the mission leaders that it be a permanent station (Chamberlain, Levi_18250627-18260414_Journal) Later Honoli’i worked as an overseer of the native Hilo church and even assisted C.S. Stewart on “his trip to Kilauea volcano in 1829, and also again in 1830 with Dr. Judd when Judd attempted to ascend Mauna Kea, while at the same time suffering from asthma.” (David Douglas, Botanist at Hawaii. P.35 & 43)

His life was brief but packed full of service for his Lord, which included interpreting, translating scripture, preaching, teaching, church planting, and personal soul winning. After years of faithful service, he died in 1838, at the height of the Great Hawaiian Revival. A memorial article Ke Kumu Hawaii newspaper wrote:

Ua make o HONOLII i ka la 21 o Feberuari. Oia ko kakou hanau mua, ma Amerika kona komo ana iloko o ko Iesu ekalesia, oia no kekahi i holo pu mai la me na kumu mua.  Ua noho ekalesia oia mai kona hoi ana mai, a hiki i kona make ana.  Aole i ikea kona hihia ana e na kanaka, aka, o ke Akua wale no ka i ike i kona naau. 
Eia ke kumu o kona mai, o ka hano me ke kunu, ua loihi kona mai ana i keia mai a hala kekahi makahiki. Ua emi mai kona kino a wiwi loa, he like no kona make ana me ka hiamoe maoli. 

GOOGLE TRANSLATION:

HONOLII died on February 21. He is our first born, in America he entered the church of Jesus, he is the one who came with the first teachers. He lived in the church since his return, until his death. His betrayal was not seen by people, but only God knew his heart. This is the cause of his illness, the cough and fever. His body shrunk and became very thin; it was like he died in a real sleep.

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Nicholas A. Freeman is a PhD student who is the final stages of his dissertation on the Great Hawaiian Revival and has spent time on Maui and the Big Island researching the numerous revival participants to help tell the full story of this historical event.