If you’ve been over near Mākena Landing, you may have noticed a lone, stone church sitting on a piece of property near the ocean’s edge. At 5300 Mākena Road, this is Keawala’i Congregational Church.⠀
Nearly 200 Years Old!
This church was founded in 1832 as the Church of Honua‘ula. (That was 190 years ago, in case you don’t wanna do the math!) First built of pili grass, it was eventually rebuilt out of stone and wood. According to keawalai.org, church members who lived near the beach gathered coral rocks for the making of the puna, or cement, while those residing on the “forest side” brought down the lumber. ⠀
Built from Nature’s Gifts
The beautiful walls of the church are made of lava rock, using coral as mortar to secure them. ⠀⠀
Welcoming generations of ‘ohana over so many years, this church is not only still standing strong, but it also remains active and continues to host worship services, every Sunday at 10 a.m. ⠀
A Past, Present & Future for this Mākena Church
Here’s how Keawala‘i describes its vision looking forward: ⠀
“The church has made a commitment to maintain Hawaiian tradition and culture, to incorporate the use of Hawaiian language, music, and dance as well as to honor the various traditions and cultures represented in its membership within its ministry of worship and service.” ⠀
Learn more about this piece of history on Maui at the Keawala‘i website.
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