Lahaina church looks to begin rebuilding in 2027
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After fleeing the 2023 wildfire with his family, including his 84-year-old mother-in-law, the Rev. John Crewe immediately began calling members of Lahaina United Methodist Church to make sure they got out safely.
"The church is not the building. The church is the people of the church," he said. "The first thing I think we wanted to do is find a place to meet. The main thing was to get back here, so that we can worship and use the space."
Three years after the wildfire, Crewe and his congregation are preparing to rebuild the historic church while continuing to support Lahaina residents rebuilding their homes.
"I might have the initial drawings by the end of the year," Crewe said.
He said construction could begin in 2027.
Crewe said he hopes the rebuilt church will resemble the former structure, with an upper floor for worship and a ground floor for educational and social activities. He said the estimated cost for rebuilding the church is about $4.1 million.
A plan is also moving forward to rebuild the preschool and build a new living space for visiting volunteers who are helping to construct homes for residents.
The church continues to serve as a gathering place for the broader community.
On Aug. 8, the property hosted the third annual Kuhinia Maui, an observance honoring the 102 people killed in the 2023 wildfire.
In 2018, the church provided a place for Gov. David Ige to sign a bill into law that helped prevent the eviction of some 235 tenants from Front Street Apartments in Lahaina. A gathering of tenants and lawmakers marked the special occasion at the church.
Gov. David Ige holds up legislation he signed during a 2018 gathering at Lahaina United Methodist Church. The measure helped prevent the eviction of Front Street Apartments tenants. Also pictured are then-Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa, state Sen. Rosalyn Baker and state Rep. Angus McKelvey. Gary Kubota/The Maui News
Church evolved with immigrant communities
Established in 1896, Lahaina United Methodist Church has adapted over the years to serve Lahaina's changing community.
The church initially served a growing community of Japanese immigrants brought to Maui to work in the sugar plantations, including Pioneer Mill Company in Lahaina, owned by H. Hackfeld & Co., later known as American Factors.
In 1899, the planters imported 26,103 Japanese contact laborers to Hawaii, the largest in a single year, according to author Roland Kotani in his 1985 book "The Japanese in Hawaii: a century of struggle."
According to church history, the Rev. Braulio T. Makapagal was assigned pastor of a separate Lahaina Filipino Methodist Church in 1933 when the Filipino population of West Maui grew to about 4,000 people. The opening of defense jobs on Oahu during World War II and subsequent economic changes reduced West Maui's Filipino population.
Lahaina United Methodist Church holds separate Sunday services in English and Tongan and has a Tongan choir. Photo courtesy Lahaina United Methodist Church
A trilingual church emerged when the Filipino Methodist Church joined with Lahaina Methodist Church in 1958. Worship services were conducted in three languages in separate sermons on Sundays. But on Christmas Eves, one trilingual candlelight communion service was held.
Lahaina United Methodist Church now holds two Sunday services, one in English and another in Tongan.
"Our Tongan congregation is growing," Crewe said.
He said members of the broader Tongan community, including those who attend other Christian churches, sometimes gather to support Lahaina United Methodist Church on special occasions.
"They'll have people come from other churches that support our church, like they support other churches," Crewe said.
The church also has a Tongan choir that practices weekly and a Tongan children's ministry.
"I really enjoy all that," Crewe said.
Children from the Lahaina United Methodist Church Sunday school are shown in a photograph dating from approximately 1917 to 1923. The congregation was established in 1896 to serve Japanese immigrants and later evolved to serve other immigrant communities on Maui. Photo courtesy Lahaina United Methodist Church
Church member and choir director Sione Pasikala used water from a well to fight fires on the property during the 2023 wildfire.
"He pretty much saved the houses that we have here," Crewe said. "He kind of spent the whole night putting out some fires."
More information is available at lumcmaui.org. Donations may be mailed to P.O. Box 10253, Lahaina, Hawaii 96761.