Lahaina church gets one step closer to rebuild
Maui County Council passes Bill 114 Monday to rezone Grace Baptist Church
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WAILUKU--On Monday, Sept. 16, the Maui County Council passed a bill that brings Lahaina's Grace Baptist Church one step closer to rebuilding after being destroyed during the Aug. 8 Lahaina fire.
The Maui County Council hosted a special meeting to vote on Bill 114, FD1 (2024). The bill changes the zoning for Grace Baptist Church from residential to public/quasi-public for .75 acres in Lahaina. The action essentially paves a way for the 50-plus year old church to be rebuilt.
Tamara Paltin, chair of the disaster, resilience, international affairs and planning committee who represents the West Maui District, moved to pass Bill 114. Tasha Kama, the presiding officer pro tempore of the Maui County Council and the chair of the housing and land use committee and current council member for the Kahului district, seconded the motion.
Paltin said Grace Baptist Church has been a fixture in the Lahaina community for more than 50 years, and she had spoken with the pastor from time to time to learn about the struggles of their rebuild.
"With this change they are able to not just build in their original footprint from over 50 years, but rebuild the church of their dreams," Paltin said.
Kama said this passing of the bill was "exciting."
"Lahaina is starting to rebuild," Kama said. "This is one of the first of the rebuilds. As we start to rebuild that community itself, it gets more and more exciting."
After a year of transitioning to meeting weekly at the Maui Coffee Attic in Wailuku, Grace Baptist Church's Senior Pastor Arza Brown said Monday's move by the council was "a major step forward."
"Folks that attended church are excited about rebuilding it and we're really looking forward to it," Brown said.
Brown said he believes the first services at Grace Baptist Church were held in the 1950's. He has been with the church since 1973, and originally there were three buildings on the property built in 1947.
Brown added that currently the church has between 70 and 80 members, some who have moved away after the fire.The church has been an active part of the community over the years, with a free summer program for kids that worked with 100 children each year.
"We tried to be a blessing in helping folks and meeting needs with having services and meeting people's spiritual needs, as well," Brown said.
Pastor Caleb Woodfin with the Grace Baptist Church said, "My initial reaction was 'Praise the Lord! We're very thankful."
Woodfin said the church is working with an architect who will be offering his services pro bono.
You can learn more about the Grace Baptist Church during their services at the Maui Coffee Attic on Sundays from 10 a.m. Located downstairs at 59 Kanoa St. Wailuku, HI, 96793.