[ RELIGION ]
STAR-BULLETIN / DECEMBER 2003
Kaumakapili Church at 766 N. King St. will celebrate the end of an eight-month renovation next week. The church is shown here three months ago, under construction.
Kaumakapili Church
welcomes senior pastor
on Palm Sunday
Kaumakapili Church's 16th senior pastor, Richard Kamanu, is familiar, even if it's been awhile.
About 20 years ago, the new pastor was in charge of the Kalihi-Palama congregation's youth program.
Kamanu, pastor of the Kapaa First Hawaiian Church on Kauai for the past 13 years, begins his new duties Palm Sunday, April 4. He will be welcomed at a 2 p.m. open house April 3 that will also celebrate the completion of an eight-month, $2.5 million church renovation.
"My own personal goal in my ministry with the great people of Kaumakapili is to challenge them to look beyond the box," Kamanu said. "As Christians, we have a tendency of placing people or even God into a carefully wrapped box. My goal is to work along with this ohana to begin unwrapping the box that we have made for ourselves so that we can experience the type of loving, caring, mission-led people that God has called us to be."
About increasing attendance, Kamanu said people will come "when people feel acceptance ... whether they are at the highest economic level to the lowest, whether they are young or old, whether they are of one ethnicity or made up of many, whether they are part of the ohana or those standing on the edges of society.
"It would be my sole emphasis to make sure that all of God's people are welcomed around God's banqueting table."
Kamanu graduated from Kamehameha Schools in 1975 and is fluent in Hawaiian. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Olivet College in Michigan, and his master of divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary.
He was ordained by the Hawaii Conference of the United Church of Christ in 1982. He served eight years as kahu for Hauula Congregational Church and was Kaumakapili's minister for young adults and youth from 1982 to 1984.
At the open house, the choir will sing Hawaiian historical and original anthems. Refreshments will be served and valet parking will be available.
Speakers will include past pastors David Kaupu, who retired in January; Kaleo Patterson; William Kaina; and Laeula Sherman Thompson.
On Palm Sunday, an 8 a.m. parade will start at Smith and Beretania streets downtown and end at Kaumakapili's Hale Kamika, with a joint worship of five congregations. The community is invited.
Click for online
calendars and events.
