Lanakila ‘Ihi’ihi O Iehowa O na Kaua Church, also known as Ke’anae Congregational Church, was built in 1860 with rocks and coral from the seashore and timber from the mountains, according to church members. It has since carried a lot of significance to the East Maui community.  

Major repairs to the church building are underway, including the roofing, interior, electrical and flooring.

“Though I am grateful that our kupuna are still living to see the church being restored and I would love to see them spend the rest of their lives worshipping in the church, the purpose of restoring and preserving the church is for the generations to come,” board member Kamaile Pahukoa said last week. “My hope is to see the people of Ke’anae, young and old, gather regularly to worship in the church together and that others who pass through can witness a community that loves God.”

The roofing job, which was completed last week by Local Boys Roofing, was estimated to cost around $66,000. After high winds and storm conditions started detaching the roof, Pahukoa said they realized this month that the frame of the roof needed to be redone, too, which costs around $92,000. 

The inside of the Ke‘anae Congregational Church located in East Maui is being renovated following a storm two years ago. Kamaile Pahukoa Photos

The total cost for the roof and framing exceeded what they had received from insurance, she said. Still, JJC Builders will continue to work on-site to complete the restructuring of the steeple next.

She said the company “has even graciously” offered to preserve some of the old lehua beams that were in the church since 1860, as well as trying to restore the remaining church pews, she added.

Once the repairs to the church building are completed, the church hall is the next priority as it serves as a community space and needs some restructuring as well to remain available for community use.

Ke’anae Congregational Church was once one of three churches in the area and is now one of two.

“The Church has always been a gathering place and should remain as such, especially since Ke’anae School is no longer available to use for community gatherings,” member Sandra Hu’eu said in an email. “Culturally, it’s also a historic place that holds a lot of history to the people of Ke’anae.”

The original sign of the Lanakila ‘Ihi’ihi O Iehowa O na Kaua Church, also known as Ke‘anae Congregational Church, is pictured. The sign, which was erected when the building was establishing in 1860 has since been replaced. Kamaile Pahukoa Photos

The church building and its adjacent cemetery currently sit in a pristine location off of the Road to Hana where there are mountain and ocean views, drawing hundreds of visitors a day. 

It’s surrounded by coconut trees, lava rocks, the Ko’olau mountains and taro patches that have existed for generations.

“It’s one of the last existing Hawaiian villages and has the feel of Old Hawaii,” Pahukoa said. The construction of the church started in 1856 and was completed in 1862, according to Pahukoa.

It was the only building in the area to survive a tsunami in 1946. 

Over the years, the church was maintained by members who did small repair projects, but the last major restoration was done in 1969. The church’s treasurer and moderator Harry K. Pahukoa Jr. was encouraged to repair the church by his mother, Mary Ann Pahukoa, who “had a deep love for the church,” explained Kamaile Pahukoa, a familial descendant. 

They had received help from community members of Ke’anae and Hana, and donations from people and organizations in the community, including East Maui Irrigation, and folks from afar who heard that the church needed to be repaired, she said. 

Fast forward to March 2021, when a storm impacted the aging church building, causing the steeple to fall and exposing the interior to outdoor weather conditions. The majority of the inside was ruined, including the flooring and ceiling. 

The church doors have always remained open to visitors and residents over the years, but have been shut due to safety hazards since the summer of 2021.

Through donations and community support, including from the Pahukoa family, the church is on its way to reopening. 

“It is a place of worship,” Pearl Pahukoa said. “We need a place of worship in this community. It’s for the people.”

Folks in East Maui can support the restoration project by visiting the Ke’anae Market, which will be hosted every fourth Saturday of the month starting on April 22 in the churchyard. 

The Ke’anae Market consists of local vendors and serves as a fundraiser event for the church to be able to cover expenses.

“Most importantly, please pray with us that the Lord would continue to provide for our every need, including the full restoration of the Ke’anae Church,” Kamaile Pahukoa said in an email. “It is out of God’s kindness and love for us that we are seeing the start of this restoration project come to life and we are waiting in anticipation for the day that the doors to the church building will open again.”

For more information or to donate, visit keanaecongregationalchurch.org.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com.