The Beginnings the Keawala’i Congregational Church

by Nick Freeman, PhD

On Makena Beach in Kihei stands the landmark Keawala’i Congregational Church, which has been a beacon of the Hawaiian Christian church for almost two hundred years. While some of the details of its origins have been published, many of the facts of its early pastors and its first rebuilding project have needed to be brought together in one narrative for a proper look back. One of those details includes the church’s first official permanent pastor, the renowned preacher and evangelist Blind Bartimeus, who although only serving one to two years before his death, was able to lay the groundwork for future pastors to come.

The first place of worship and instruction had been established at nearby Keawakapu, Ka‘eo, in 1825, as a thatched pili grass structure.[1] Several years later the members built a stone and wood church.[2] Then in August 1832 the church was organized, and mission records indicate that it was an outpost of the mother church at Wailuku. This was the same year that the church at Wailuku (Kaahumanu Chapel) was founded by Rev. J.S. Green, after a grant received by Kamehameha II.[3] Dwight Baldwin reported in 1832, during the first half of the year there was preaching at Wailuku seven sabbaths, one sabbath at Honuaula and several sabbaths at Kaanapali,[4] which seemed to be the pattern of pastoral care for several years following.

Later in 1834, Rev. J.S. Green, pastor at Wailuku[5], reported in the Ka Lama newspaper in 1834 of his ministering at Honuaula, “I arrived at Honuaula and gathered the people together. I preached to them the word of God in Corinthians 6: 2. May 4. Sunday. In the morning, I told the word of God to the children of that place, Ecclesiastes 12: 1. There are not many children in the church. Afterwards, I told the people, what God said 2. Corinthians 5: 10. There were about two thousand people in front of me. In the evening, preach again what Jesus said in Luke 8: 17.”[6] Rev. Green continued to be the pastor at Wailuku as well the itinerant pastor at Honuaula until July 1, 1836.”[7]

The following year, as the church grew on account of the Great Hawaiian Revival[8], Rev. Baldwin at Lahaina noted in his 1837 mission report, that “the local head man of Honuaula, Pikanene, wished me to ask the mission to locate a missionary among them, as they have 3,000 or more people”.[9] (It’s unclear whether the number refers to the local population or the actual church attendance).

Based on this need, the church received as pastor the widely known and the first and newly ordained protestant minister in the Islands, Bartimeus Puuaiki. “The people of Honuaula, an out station of Wailuku, some twenty miles distant, having become acquainted with Bartimeus, and being so far from the house of God that they seldom enjoyed the privilege of hearing the gospel preached, were greatly desirous of obtaining services of one whom they so highly valued, as a permanent arrangement.”[10]

Based on this need, Bartimeus was “sent forth by the church at Wailuku to labor in the destitute field of Honuaula and Kahikinui.”[11] Rev. Bartimeus’ preaching style was direct and relatable. Phil Corr notes in his dissertation The Field is the World that “Bartimeus used plainness as his overriding principle for preaching,[12]” which was quite effective among the growing members, as was his known faithfulness with the gospel across many stations.  

Rev. Green describes Pastor Bartimeus’ ministry there, stating, “He used to reside at Honuaula two, and sometimes three weeks, when he would return to Wailuku “to recruit his stores” as he used pleasantly to say.[13] Missionary E.W. Clark also noted “At our other out station Honuaula we have done something, though not very much - Since Pikenini has been at the head of affairs there, the aspect of things has greatly changed for the better - A new native meeting-house & (I think) 7 stone or Doby school-houses have been built, all of which are daily occupied with schools - The meeting house is well filled on the sabbath when there is any one to preach & the sabbath school is large - Bartimeus has done most of the labor at this place and occasionally also gone to Haiku. His services we think are very acceptable to the people & highly useful”. [14]

Unfortunately, after just under two years of service there, in 1843 Rev. Bartimeus became sick and returned to Wailuku for the remainder of his days. Several months later, in 1844, after the death of Bartimeus, Rev. E. W. Clark records that he visited the church three times and administered the sacraments.[15] Later in 1846, Clark again notes, “I have visited 3 times a year the out post at Honuaula & administered the Lord's supper to the church in that part of the field.

Then in 1846, “Kaili, a graduate of the Seminary & a very capable man was employed as a regular helper at the outpost. He now receives $50. a year as compensation from the mother church at Wailuku.”[16]

In 1848, Clark again writes of Pastor Kaili stating, “Kaili has been licensed to preach the Gospel, & continues to labor at that out-post at Honuaula with acceptance & usefulness and was also paid an annual salary of $103.73 by the Wailuku church.”[17] However, in a short while, after being transferred to Oahu in 1849, Rev. Kaili would pass away quickly just as Bartimeus. Clark said of Rev. Kaili at his death, “Perhaps no Hawaiian promised greater usefulness as a preacher of the Gospel.”[18]

In addition to losing their pastor, the church building suffered a total loss several years later on account of a storm in 1852. Missionary D.T. Conde detailed in his annual station report that “the Meeting houses of Waihee and Honuaula have also been repaired and thatched anew, the past year. That of the latter place, however, was recently demolished by a powerful wind shortly after the Sabbath congregation had closed their exercises & retired ------- from within its walls. A very timely escape.” He also noted that it would be great struggle financially for them to rebuild but that “they must have help from some quarter, for they are poor in this world's goods and few, but that their Wailuku friends will doubtless contribute liberally for the object.”[19]

However, despite the setback, the church held together. Missionary W.P. Alexander wrote in his station report of the struggle to finish the new meeting house, “I have visited the church of Honuaula three times during the year & administered the ordinances. They walk orderly & have some warmth of piety among them. They are struggling to finish their stone meetinghouse at Keawakapu & they have almost got the roof completed. They are much attached to Nueku, a licensed preacher who is laboring among them & would be glad to have him ordained as their pastor. I think he gives promise of becoming a very valuable helper in our work.”[20]

The commitment to helping the church at Honuaula both spiritually and physically continued into 1857, with missionary Conde writing, “That portion of the Wailuku parish which comprises Honuaula & Kahikinui has been organized into a district church and I hope ere long they will have a pastor living among them to break unto them the bread of life. I shall continue to exercise the pastoral over them until they are thus supplied.”[21]

Eventually that pastor came, later in 1857, as the outpost at Honuaula became a distinctly organized church on April 19, 1857, “It had hitherto constituted a into a/part of the Wailuku church & when organized it consisted of 298 members who were for this purpose dismissed from the church of Wailuku, and Oct. 14, 1860, and S.W. Nueku was ordained by the Presbytery of Maui & Molokai as assistant Pastor of the Church of Honuaula at Keawakapu.”[22]

While there, Rev. Nueku helped the church finish their stone meeting house, which included gathering monies needed. Rev. Nueku was also preaching at five additional locations at the same time. He served there until 1864 and then moved to pastor the church at Kalawao.[23] In his station report of 1861, Nueku reported that the monthly concert of prayer had been revived, but overall, there were no special revival signs, but that membership was holding at 265 persons.[24] 

At last, in 1858, the Stone Meeting House at Keawakapu (also called Honua‘ula or Makena Church, and also renamed in 1944 to Keawalaʻi – the name it retains today)[25] was completed.[26] The church had received many gifts from various donors both in and outside the church aiding the rebuilding including the mission church at Wailuku donating both to the building and staff there. In 1855 the church at Wailuku donated $250 towards rebuilding, in 1857 donated $236, in 1857 $50 was donated for supporting a teacher there, in 1858 $134.62 was donated for the pastor salary,  and in 1858 $246 was donated for building the meeting house[27], just to name a few. Members at Honuaula were also active, including “in 1856, the church Sunday school raised $70 which was sent to the United States to buy a bell for the church. The bell arrived in January 1860 and was lifted to the belfry in February 1862.”[28] Pastor S.W. Nueku continued to minister as pastor, and served faithfully till 1864, until called to another flock. The church continued to thrive throughout the early years, in the face of a variety of challenges and victories, and still stands today, gathering each Sunday, as a testament to Hawaiian perseverance and faithfulness to God.

 Nicholas A. Freeman, PhD completed his dissertation on the Great Hawaiian Revival and has authored numerous articles on the Hawaiian revival and the primary participants involved. He has visited Maui and the Big Island on frequent trips, researching sites, archive locations including the Lyman Museum, churches, and revival historical sites. 

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Keawalaʻi Congregational Church | Images of Old Hawaiʻi