Our Story

Our Beginning

The Community Church of Honolulu originated from the Beretania Church of Christ, a small mission started in the early 1900s by Mr. and Mrs. Elijah McKenzie. Leigh Hooley, a former YMCA staffer, played a vital role in providing education and sports opportunities for 400 Chinese youth.

In 1934, Ke‘eaumoku Church of Christ was established with 31 young members. The church joined the Hawaiian Evangelical Association and appointed Rev. Stephen Mark as its first pastor in 1936. Relocations followed, and in 1938, the church purchased a new site on Queen Emma Street and became the Community Church of Honolulu. Rev. Richard Wong led the church during the 1950s-1960s and oversaw the acquisition of a new property on Nu‘uanu Avenue.

Rev. Richard DuFresne and Rev. Dr. Wallace Fukunaga contributed significantly to the church's development, and Rev. Ron Williams became the Senior Pastor in 2008 and left an enduring legacy of love and community..

Timeline

  • 1906: Beretania Mission started by Elijah and Jessie MacKenzie, serving Chinese immigrants in downtown Chinatown.

  • 1925: Former YMCA worker Leigh Hooley comes to lead club work for 400-plus young people.

  • 1926-28: Rev. Stephen Mark serves as second pastor.

  • 1934: Beretania Church Young People’s Board asks to withdraw from parent church and establish a new church, and 31 founders move to Keeaumoku and Lunalilo streets. Keeaumoku Church of Christ accepted into Congregational fellowship.

  • 1936-44: Rev. Stephen Mark serves as first pastor.

  • 1938: Officially named Community Church of Honolulu. Church creed created: “We purport to be democratically Christian, believing that the democratic process is the most educative in the development of the personality. … We purport to be a community church in fact — a community church is supra-racial and supra-national, open to all, regardless of race, class or caste, and seeks to render a real service to the community in the light of its needs.”

  • 1938: Property at 1524 Emma St. purchased for $29,000.

  • 1944: Tenth anniversary celebrated by burning of Emma Street mortgage. CCH becomes self supporting, with no help from Hawaiian Board of Mission. Budget is $4,924.

  • 1944-45: Rev. Kim On Chong serves as interim minister (returns for 6 months in 1947).

  • 1945-47: Rev Robert Wood serves as minister, with wife superintendent of church school.

  • 1947-53: Rev. Mark returns.

  • 1954-68: Rev. Richard Wong is called from Hilo Chinese Christian.

  • 1958: Territory notifies church that 6,000 square feet of its property will be used for freeway. Two years later, Honolulu Redevelopment Agency notifies church officials of possibility of condemnation and ultimately pays CCH $303,000.

  • 1962: Purchase of E. Faxon Bishop property at 2345 Nuuanu Ave., for $350,000. Plans are made for new sanctuary, educational buildings and renovation of 62-year-old mansion — the “White House.”

  • 1963: Rev. Wong and church secretary Violet Fong move into White House. First floor living rooms are temporary sanctuary. Sunday school held at Maemae School.

  • 1965: Dean Fujii becomes Youth Minister. Two years later, church school registration is 207.

  • 1965: Dedication of new sanctuary and buildings. Artist Hon Chew Hee’s “Tree of Life” featured in sanctuary.

  • 1969-75:Rev. Jay Sapunar becomes Senior Minister.

  • 1971-77: Rev. Frank Chong becomes Youth Minister, then Interim Minister.

  • 1977-89: Dr. C. Richard DuFresne serves as minister and membership is 503 when he leaves.

  • 1980: Burning of the mortgage negotiated in 1965.

  • 1983: Groundbreaking for Stephen Mark Hall multi-purpose building, completed in 1989.

  • 1984: 50th anniversary celebrated. Church budget is $151,485.

  • 1989-91: Rev. Phillip Reller is Senior Pastor.

  • 1991-92: Dr. Teruo Kawata comes out of retirement to be Interim Pastor.

  • 1993-2000: Rev. Wallace T. Fukunaga is Senior Pastor, with Rev. Mitchell Young as Associate Pastor from 1994-96. Rev. Kawata is Acting Senior Paster when Rev. Fukunaga leaves to begin his doctorate at Pacific School of Religion.

  • 1994: 60th anniversary celebrated at Hale Koa Hotel.

  • 1997: Addition of 8 a.m. service.

  • 2000: Ordination and installation of Associate Pastor Mark Lee, and Rev. Fukunaga resigns.

  • 2000-2002: Rev. Alan Lee is Interim Minister.

  • 2002-2005: Mark Lee becomes Senior Minister, with Rev. Joshua Blakesley serving as Associate Pastor from 2004-2006.

  • 2005-2007: Rev. Daniel Hatch, retired Senior Paster of Manoa Valley Church, is Interim Senior Minister, with Revs. Phyllis Meagan and James Koyama serving as Associate Ministers.

  • 2006: Congregation accepts proposal to move to one 9 a.m. service.

  • 2008-2018: Rev. Ron Williams is Senior Pastor.

  • 2011: Manu Naeole named Christian Ed Director.

  • 2014: CCH celebrates its 80th anniversary.

  • 2017: Frances Wong named Christian Education Director and Hari Bayani named Music Director.

1930’s Gallery