The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-14
HOW It BEGAN
The Early History of
KaWaiahao.
Way the Church Gained Over the
Natives to Christianity in
the Twenties.

The following is in part the sermon
preached Sunday evening by Rev. W.
d. Westervelt of Kawaiahao Church,
on the beginnings of that institution:
when the first of the twelve bands
of American missionaries came to Ho-
nolulu in 1920, regular Sabbath services
We're started at once. These were held
sometimes in the open air, and some
times in the most available grass
houses. The church sacraments We're at
once instituted and regularly observed
by the mission band. In fact, there was
an organized church from the begin
ming. This had been transplanted from
Boston to Honolulu. On the 18th of
October, 1S19 the organization of the
Mission Church for the Hawaiian Is
LANDS was perfected in Park Street
Church. Boston, and was composed of
the missionaries who We're soon to set
sail on the brig Thaddeus for the un-
known experiences of the far away
Sandwich Islands. The members of this
church were Messrs. Bingham and
Thurston. ministers; DR.. Holman, ply
sician; Whitney, Ruggies, Loomis and
Chamberlain, teachers. and their wives.
| Five children in the Chamberlain FAM
| lily. and three natives, Thomas Hopu,
William Kanui and George Humehume,
son of kaumualii, the king of Kauai,
were also a part of this missionary
force.
This missionary church, carried to
| Honolulu, became the foundation upon
which the Kawaiahao Church was built
in 1926. After nearly five years in
| struction, an association of twelve or
fifteen native females was formed in
January, 1925, for the purpose of guard
ing and saving the native women.
Among them was Queen Namahana,
About n month later a number OF
serious men putting off their heather
habits united in a similar association
for Improvement. Kalanimoku was one
of the leaders in this movement. In
1880 these associations numbered about
500 females and 100 males in Honolu-
lu alone, with branches established or
the other islands.
. a company of perhaps a hundred Ha-
waiians desired baptism. Many Of
these were not considered sufficiently
instructed to be given the responsible
, position of church members before th'
eyes of such a population of foreigner:
. as was then found in Honolulu. 1t wa
feared that they would not be stead
> fast However, a small number wer,
: accepted for an additional six months
: probation. They were examined TO
/. probation in June and On December I
1925, the first Sabbath of December
they were baptized and received int
!. church membership, thus forming tn
! first church organized in the Hawaiia
: Islands. The original papers of thi
= organization. with the signatures c
> these first members are now to be see
: in the collection Of Kawaialao Churc
. papers, held by Rev. II. II. Parker.
Most of these first members wer
of the very high chief class, althoug
some of them were noble men from tn
common people. The list was as TO
lows: Kaahumanu (queen), KalanimC
\ ku (governor), Namahana (queen), 81:
ter of Kaahumanu; Loanui Kapul
Kaiu, Kealiiahonue and Richard Kt
laaia. Kapiolani, the queen who defe
the goddess Pele on the brink of II
l. great crater, was received few weel
later at Kaawaloa, and kalaku
(queen) and sister of Kaahumanu, W;
received at Lahaina, Maui. kaah'
manu-, Namahana and Kalakua, Il
three sisters. were all queens of Il
-, mehameha I. Kaahumanu was rege
- of the Islands, and Kalakua was go
e. ernor of Maui. This was the beginnil
p of Kawaiahao Church seventy-h'
ne years ago."