By Rod Thompson, Star-Bulletin
Louise Kamanu, left, Bernice McKeague and
Iwalani Dayton in front of the Kalapana Mauna Kea Church.

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174-year-old Kalapana
church rises anew

The Mauna Kea Church,
relocated after a lava flow, holds services
for five extended Hawaiian families

By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

NANAWALE, Hawaii -- Pastor John Makuakane stopped in the middle of a service at the Kalapana Mauna Kea Church and looked out a window at lava flowing past.

"Look at the power of God," church administrator Louise Kamanu remembers him telling the congregation.

A month later, about 11 p.m. on June 1, 1990, a new surge of lava destroyed the church.

Now, seven years later, a new Kalapana Mauna Kea Church has risen on donated land in the Nanawale Estates subdivision 10 miles north of the old one.

Essentially complete a year ago after two years of construction, the church still is undergoing some minor work.

The cost was just less than $200,000, with half of the money coming from insurance on the former church and half from donations and fund-raising.

For Kamanu, the new building is a milestone, but just one of several for the 174-year-old congregation. "We come with a history," she said.

The happiest stories are of the three-day walk from Kalapana to Hilo made in 1886 by the church's 60-member choir going to an 'aha mele, or singing contest, at Haili Church.

Although they went to sing hymns, choir director John Kauwila also composed a secular love song called "Lei Ana O Puna," said Kamanu's sister, Bernice McKeague.

Walking into Hilo carrying a large banner and dressed entirely in black and white, the Kalapana church won the contest, sang the new love song as their "choice song," and received a silver flagon and chalice from the hands of then-Princess Liliuokalani.

The tradition continues with the church's choir preparing for a retreat at Kapaa, Kauai, on July 18, Kamanu said.

"They have a very profound sense of heritage and identity as a church community," said current pastor David Grogan.

"This is really a big chunk of history. They know it like I know how to butter my bread."

The beginnings of the church date to 1823 when missionary William Ellis, exploring the coast of the Big Island, held a service on the beach at Kalapana for 700 people, Kamanu said.

A church of ohia posts and thatched roof followed, lasting until the massive earthquake and tsunami of 1868 wiped it out.

Kauwila, who composed the love song, built a new wooden church on the shore in the 1870s. Although the church was remote from Mauna Kea, one of the young men climbed the steeple of the new building, and surprised to be able to see the distant mountain, shouted, "Mauna Kea, Mauna Kea!" Kamanu said.

The church has carried that name since.

In the 1930s, with a sinking seashore and water lapping at the church, it was disassembled and rebuilt at a site it occupied until lava struck in 1990.

The Catholic Star of the Sea "Painted" Church was built about that time, using some of the Protestant-owned land where the Mauna Kea church had stood.

"Our families belonged to both churches," Kamanu said.

"Whenever we had church functions, we helped each other."

When lava approached, the Catholic church was moved.

The Mauna Kea congregation had similar offers but decided to leave their church's fate to God.

"We went in (at night) and watched it burn," Kamanu said. "It was a sad feeling, seeing it go like that." But as the flames and clouds of smoke rose, people saw the shapes of angels, she said.

Other United Church of Christ congregations offered to take them in, and the Kalapana people ended up meeting at the 132-year-old Pu'ula Church in Nanawale, but holding separate services.

The congregation consists of about five extended Hawaiian families, although non-Hawaiians are welcome.

Once a month, the service is in Hawaiian, except for Grogan's service in English.

While other United Church of Christ congregations in the area find their members growing older, Kalapana Mauna Kea has mostly young people, Kamanu said.

Grogan put the membership at fewer than 100, with about 40 of them active.

Of those, only five are "elders" like herself, meaning over age 50, Kamanu said.