Congregation prays
for friends and enemies

Members of a Pearl Harbor church
gather after the war starts

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By Craig Gima
cgima@starbulletin.com

Just hours after the war with Iraq began, the congregation at the Calvary Chapel Pearl Harbor prayed for church members who have loved ones serving in the Persian Gulf, for all the men and women in the armed forces, for President Bush and other leaders, for innocent civilians, even for Saddam Hussein because the Bible says to pray for enemies.

About 50 people attended nightly services at the church in the Moanalua Shopping Center near Pearl Harbor.

Associate Pastor Frank Figueroa Jr. said about half the congregation comes from Pearl Harbor and other military bases.

Before services began, much of the conversation was on the war with Iraq, and most of those who attended were in support of the U.S. military and its mission in Iraq.

"We pray for our troops, for our nation, so we can unite," said church member Keiko Baldwin, whose husband, John, served in Desert Storm in 1991. She and her husband said they understand what it is like to be separated during a time of war and can share their experiences with other church members.

"It's a really important day," said John Mark. "We have to pray for our soldiers and also the innocent lives."

Mark said it is comforting to come to church at a time like this.

His wife, Heidi, added, "Some of the members of our church got sent away, and we want to be here to support them, too."

On one wall of the church are posters of Pearl Harbor-based warships, like the USS Paul Hamilton and USS O'Kane, that were sent to the Persian Gulf region.

Above the posters is the phrase, "Pray Locally, Pray Globally."

In last night's service, Figueroa cited a passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, which says, "To every thing there is a season ... a time to kill and a time to heal ... a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace."

"With freedom comes a great cost," Figueroa said as he offered prayers for "those who are willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom for us to come here and worship."

Bill Stull, who works as a bartender at the nearby Navy-Marine golf course, said: "I think they should have started earlier. They didn't give us 48 hours with the (World) Trade Center."