The Story of “The Little Church in The Cane Field” 

This history unfolds in Kaumakani on the southwest side of Kaua‘i Island between Waimea and Hanapēpē. The Church will celebrate its 110th anniversary in June 2023.

By guest contributor, Timothy Tovar DeLaVega

With Filipino immigrants arriving on Kauaʻi sugar plantation’s beginning in 1910, four former seminary students from the Visayan Islands, Philippines; Cornelio Lutao, Francisco Barcelona, A. Basan and Erihilgio Ramos, followed their calling to minister to the Filipino sakadas at the Hawaiian Sugar Co. Ltd. Plantation located in Makaweli. Soon after, Cornelio Lutao requested material and land from the Hawaiian Sugar Company Ltd. to build a sanctuary. Thus, in the middle of sugar Camp Four, the residents of Camp Four constructed a church on the leased land with material donated by the plantation manager.

Originally named the Makaweli Filipino Methodist Episcopal Church, the chapel was dedicated on June 1st, 1913, and is presently known as Kaumakani West Kaua‘i United Methodist Church. Soon after its dedication, the little Church became the social center of the Filipino community as it was the only plantation church that held services in Ilocano. When Superintendent Fry visited the Makaweli Church in 1916, he reported baptizing 40 persons at an evening service. And after the Hanapēpē Massacre of 1924, the Church donated the caskets and held services for the lost strikers.

Camp Four was integrated into Kaumakani Village in 1947 and now sits alone on land leased from the Gay and Robinson family. It is the oldest Filipino Methodist church in Hawaiʻi.

Throughout its history, Kaumakani Church has continued its volunteer legacy, with the addition of a social hall and numerous remodels and enlargements. On September 11, 1992, the ill winds of Hurricane ʻIniki (Hawaiian for sharp or piercing as in wind or pangs of love), said to be one of the strongest Hurricanes to ever hit the United States, left a wake of destruction in its trail. The eye of Hurricane ʻIniki passed directly over the area devastating Kaumakani Church and Kaumakani Village. The storm moved the Church off its foundation, removed about half of the Church roof and completely destroyed the Social Hall. Both structures where slated for demolition during the sugar harvest of 1993 by the Olokele Sugar Company Ltd which had taken over the plantation in 1941.

News of the demolition prompted intense opposition and a successful community campaign to save the Church. In 1995, volunteers from Hawai‘i and across the globe worked together to restore the Church and construct a new Social Hall.

Every time a historical place is lost, it is all of us that lose. Historical places honor our past as we tread into the future. They give all of us, an understanding of what we came from and guide us toward where we hope to go.

As Kaumakani West Kaua‘i  United Methodist Church, built and restored by the hands of the people, approaches 110 years of service for this humble community we again reach out to the greater community for assistance in repairing and preparing the Sanctuary and Social Hall for a humble celebration on June 3rd 2023.

Kaumakani: West Kaua‘i  United Methodist Church is looking for a few good volunteers! On June 3rd the Sanctuary will celebrate its 110th anniversary and parishioners are preparing the Church for this milestone. This small congregation is looking for volunteer assistance with carpentry and painting of the Sanctuary and Social Hall in the month of May. A Praying Pelican Ministry youth group will visit to help the last week of May.

For more information please contact volunteer coordinator Tim DeLaVega  tel. 808-651-3156;  timdelavega@twc.com or Pastor Nafe: nafetalai@gmail.com

Resources

“Hanapēpē Massacre”
https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/hanapepe-massacre/

“A Massacre Forgotten”
https://www.honolulumagazine.com/a-massacre-forgotten/