Kahu Rennie Mau in front of the Parish Hall at ‘Ewa Community Church
‘Ewa Community Church is located on Renton Road within the ‘Ewa Sugar Plantation Villages, a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Villages is significant for its association with ‘Ewa Sugar Plantation, which played an influential role in Hawai‘i’s economy, culture, and politics throughout most of the twentieth century. It is also significant as an historic district for its vernacular architecture. The district includes the Verona, Tenney, and Renton Villages, which formerly provided worker housing for the ‘Ewa Sugar Plantation. Each of the distinct villages (eight total) was expressive of different cultures and ethnic groups, and had its own architectural and landscaping.
‘Ewa Community Church was built in 1937. A Parish Hall was added in 1951 and the church was expanded in 1956 in response to a growing post-war congregation. The Reverend Paul S. Osumi, remembered for “Today’s Thought,” a daily column in The Honolulu Advertiser, led the congregation at that time.
Today the church remains a vital part of the surrounding community and is currently home to the United Church of Christ congregation. HHF has had a number of opportunities to assist in preserving the property. The Foundation staff recently interviewed the current minister, Kahu Rennie Mau, to learn more about him and the present role of the church in the community.
Kahu Rennie Mau: I grew up in Hawai‘i on the island of O‘ahu living on the Windward side in Kailua at Coconut Grove and then later in Maunawili Valley. I went to St. Louis High School and attended the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. After that I attended Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. I then served as a pastor to several churches in Southern and Northern California. I also wrote and produced music and media. I owned my own media studio and produced educational materials. I came back to Hawai‘i in 1999 serving churches on Maui, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i. I also produced and directed a local TV show for children on Oceanic Time Warner 16 channel for several years. My interests are photography, cooking, and indigenous arts.
HHF: What is your affiliation with ‘Ewa Community Church and how did you come to be there?
Kahu Rennie: I serve as the part-time pastor at ‘Ewa Community Church. I was teaching at Hawai‘i Tokai International College nearby when I heard that the pastor the church had fallen ill. I offered to help the church with pulpit supply. Unfortunately, the pastor died from cancer. I continued to serve as supply and acting pastor. In 2019, the church formally asked me to serve as their settled pastor.
HHF: Please share a little about the Church’s history and what makes it special. Why is it important to preserve this place and share its history?
Kahu Rennie: ‘Ewa Community Church dates back to 1834 when it was an “apana church” (in Hawaiian a baby cell of the ‘Ewa Mission). It served as a magnet school which in 1835 had some students. It moved around and in the 1850’s over 70% of its membership died from smallpox (ma‘i pu‘uli‘ili‘i).
The congregation continued to meet in homes during this time. In 1890, the church was formally organized with the help of the ‘Ewa Plantation. A wooden church was built by the plantation near the factory, but in 1937 the church was relocated and built the present sanctuary where it is today.
HHF: When was the Parish Hall built and what role does it serve in the community?
Kahu Rennie: The Parish Hall was built in 1957. It has served as a church community gathering place – during the war years, as a 1960s coffeehouse, a meeting place for many community and nonprofit groups, hula, martial arts, etc. It also is a community center for family parties and gatherings.
Presently ‘Ewa Enrichment Preschool, Keiki O Ka ‘Āina, State of Hawai‘i WIC (Woman, Infants, and Children), several martial arts and dance schools (hula and Tahitian) meet in the facilities when the church is not using it.
The church is also designated and certified as a “Blue Zones”* church. It is the only Blue Zones church located in the ‘Ewa district (from Hālawa to Kapolei). Through Blue Zones, the church has hosted workshops on health, mindfulness, community arts, health workshops, walking groups, and local sustainability partnerships. The church has also helped with the distribution of Covid-19 cleaning and PPE supplies as well as food and water distribution to some 1,000 plus families once a month.
*Editor’s Note: The Blue Zones Project is a community-wide well-being improvement initiative designed to help making healthy choices easier for everyone in Hawai‘i.
Ewa Community Church, Photo credit: Leigh Hokama
HHF: In August 2021, HHF and our project partners conducted an instructional 3-day wooden window workshop for existing carpenters at the Parish Hall repairing 10 double hung wooden windows. What impact has that had?
Kahu Rennie: We were very happy because the windows could not be opened for airflow. Some of the windows no longer worked. The hall has no air conditioning, so the (resulting) air flow helped with the many groups using the facilities. It also spurred our church to replace all the windows and screens in the church to match the beautiful new windows.
HHF: Can you share a little about what followed including receiving a preservation grant from HHF to repair and repaint the Parish Hall buildings?
Kahu Rennie: The Parish Hall looked horrible mainly because the old paint was peeling off. In many places rotten or termite damaged wood was exposed. Unfortunately, due to the lead paint, abatement costs estimates were very high for the small congregation. The preservation grant allowed us to have contractors properly remove and dispose of the hazardous lead paint, replace rotten wood, repair cracked cement on the outer foundation, and repaint the church like new.
We had many inquiries from church members and friends to help repaint the church or take off the old paint. But none were certified in abatement.
HHF: How has the pandemic impacted the local community? Has the parish hall been helpful during these challenging times? If so, how?
Kahu Rennie: The Parish Hall continues to be a source of community encouragement and support and a gathering place. With Covid-19 safety protocols we had to limit the use and also the number of people in the room. Nevertheless, we have had some faithful partners who, although not able to use the room, continue to donate money.
HHF: You mentioned the church and parish hall are being featured in a new film by filmmaker Julian Cepeda titled, “HomeTown Hero.” Can you tell us more about that?
Kahu Rennie: The film, “HomeTown Hero” is perhaps likened to a Hawaiian version of “West Side Story” dealing with the challenges of mental health with indigenous and Pacific Island people living in Hawai‘i in modern times. The movie focuses on historical identity and culture and the pressures of modern contemporary economics and identity on traditional indigenous Polynesian families.
The church was chosen because of its historical appearance, the stained-glass windows, and the traditional look as opposed to warehouse contemporary churches.
HHF: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our preservation ‘ohana?
Kahu Rennie: The repair and restoration did not include our sliding doors and that is our next project.