How Firm the Foundation

A Short History of the First Chinese Church of Chirst
In Commemoration of it 90th Anniversary

The Chinese have two old adages which run like this: "In drinking water, one should consider the source." The other is "previous generations sow the seeds, but later generations reap the harvest."

Both emphasize remembrance of the past, that we in the present who drink the pure water and eat the rich fruits should pause to consider the source and remember the past in order to plan wisely and work creatively for the future.

Today, here in Hawaii, we have such a thriving community of Chinese Christians with so many beautiful churches and functional buildings; all these are due to the untiring efforts of those who have labored before, leaving us such a rich heritage to enjoy, During this our goth Anniversary, how appropriate it is for us to raise our voices and say: "See! This is what our fathers have done for us."

This Christian community of the Chinese had its beginning around the middle of the last century when many professing Christians migrated to Hawaii from South China, Among the thousands who came to these islands, there ar- rived in 1876, a small group of 28 professing Christians, five of them women, who had already been converted by the Basel missionaries in China, Soon after their arrival, they formed the Chinese Y.M.C.A. which has been in exis- tence since 1877.

Later, about 19 of them took the initiative to call on the Rev. Samuel C. Damon, minister of the Seamen's Bethel Church, to assist them in their Christian nurture, Through an interpreter, Mr, Sit Moon, they were able to make their intent clear to Mr, Damon, To show the sincerity of their faith, they gladly showed their certificates of baptism as evidences of previous church experience,

Mr, Damon was so impressed that he reported the visit with these words: "So far as I am able to learn, these professing Christians have adorned their profession of Christianity with a degree of firmness and propriety that might be emulated by many professing Christians as they come from America and Europe."

And even the Advertiser at that time agreed with the sentiments of Mr, Damon, although editorially, it had doubted the wisdom of importing so many foreigners to work on the plantations, "our principal objection to the Chinese as immigrants has been the demoralizing influence they have on the Hawai- ians, But if they come like these with certificates of Christian character, then we say the more the better, We believe that no planter will be found whatever his views on the matters of religion but would promptly express his preference for a gang of Christian Chinese laborers than heathens."

From that day on, the so-called haoles or whitener of the larger commu- nity took a special interest in the Chinese, As they observed their honesty and integrity besides their frugality and ability to do hard-work, this became a common expression among the white population during those early days that "A Chinaman's word is as good as bond."

To put his interest into action, Mr, Damon made available to these Chinese Christians the facilities of the Church for Sunday afternoon services, Later he started a small night school in the parish hall to teach them English, This humble beginning might very well be pinpointed as the mustard seed from which the little Chinese Christian Community began to take root and sprout, As time went by, there was felt a greater need for a meeting house of their own for their week-day activities as well as their Sunday worship, Besides they needed a Sunday School building for the Christian nurture of their children.

Through the good office of Mr, John T. Waterhouse, the facilities of the old Lyceum, a town hall located on Kukui and Nuuanu Streets, were made available for their use, Under the leadership of Mr, Sit Moon and a corps of Y.M.C.A. workers inspired by Mr, J. B. Atherton, they organized classes to teach them English and the basic Biblical truths.

Later with 36 of them as charter members, they petitioned the Hawaiian Evangelical Association for permission to organize formally a church of their own, On Sunday afternoon, June 8, 1879, an Ecclesiastical Council was called to consider the petition, Delegates to the Council were Bethel Church - Rev. S. C. Damon, pastor; Rev, S. E. Bishop, delegates; Fort Street Church - Rev, Walter Frear, Pastor; J. B. Atherton, Delegate; Kawaiahao Church - Rev, H. H. Parker, Pastor; Brother Lopaki, Delegate; Kaumakapili Church - Rev. M. Kauea, Pastor; Deacon E. S. Kalauao, Delegate; Rev, Hiram Bingham, Secretary of the Hawaiian Board and Rev, C. M. Hyde, President of the North Pacific Missionary Institute.

The names of the 36 charter members are: Ho Kan (Andrew), Ho Kam Fook (Thomas), Goo Chang Ling (Mark), Hau Shun (Nathaniel), Lau Kai (Philip), Tang Heng (Thaddeus), Sit Moon, Wong Kam, Chan Wan Pang, Wong Yee, Chui Fook, Goo Fun Long, Goo Lai Tak Yan, Wong Yun Ching (Luke), Yap Tang Siu (Joseph), Yap Lai Tak Shing, Leong Pak Hing (PauI), Chan Fook (Matthew), Che Yeong (James), Goo Kam-, Goo Komui, Ho Pui, Lau Cheong Kwong, Yip Shat Fan, Leong Jo Shan, Fam Lin Kong, Cheong Tin Wan, Yip Yan Mau, Yip Lam Ten Shing, Yap Kee Yau, Yap Ten Chiu, Ho Yan Wah, Ho Leong Kai Sang, Lai Tak Fook, Lai Chan Ming Leong, Lee Sam (Peter), Some of them took on Christian names and many of their descendants are still active in the life of the church.

The Recognition Service which followed was such a memorable occasion that the Rev. Samuel Damon, one of the staunch supporters of the Chinese, upon seeing the progress which this little band of Christians had made, said in enthusiasm: "our island kingdom occupies a most advantageous outpost for carrying forward this noble undertaking of world evangelism."

Mr, W.W. Hall, President of the Honolulu Y.M.C.A., confirmed Dr, Damon's optimism by saying: It is with unfeigned delight that we are able to report that our efforts, combined with those of other Christian workers, have finally culminated in the organization of the First Chinese Church in the Hawaiian Islands, It is a marked and signal event in our religious history." Some even went as far as to say that since we have been sending mis- sionaries from the West to China, what better opportunity than this: That by the Chinese coming here we shall have the opportunity of converting them to Christianity."

On August 7, 1879, a little over 2 months after organizing, Luke Aseu, acting on behalf of the young congregation, purchased at auction a lot on Fort Street, between Beretania and Kukui Streets, for the sum of $4500. In order that the congregation might legally hold title to its property, the membership sought and was granted on October 3, 1879, a charter of incorporation by His Majesty, King Kalakaua. The King from the very beginning took a keen interest in the church and on many occasions participated i n its activities as an honored guest.

These 10 were elected to the first Board of Trustees: Rev, Samuel Damon, Dr, C. M. Hyde, W. W. Hall, J. B. Atherton, John T Waterhouse, Low Chung, Goo Kim, Sit Moon, Chun Fook, and Luke Aseu.

By April of 1880, the membership began to initiate plans for the raising of the necessary funds to build a church edifice. Spearheaded by the generous gifts of their American friends, they went ahead to campaign for funds, The Church building was constructed at a cost of $6,500 with an additional $1,000 for furnishings. The beautiful edifice was formally dedicated on January 2, 1881 as the Fort Street Chinese Church.

At the Dedication Service, Rev, Samuel Damon addressed the audience with these stirring words: "The dedication of this first Chinese Church in Honolulu and the Hawaiian Islands is an event of no ordinary interest in the history of Christianity in the Pacific Ocean. I am thoroughly convinced there is no place in the world so favorable for effectively reaching the Chinese with Christ's Gospel than in Honolulu.

"From a long course of observation and pastoral labor among the Christian Chinese. I am fully convinced that those professing to have embraced the Christian faith are taking up and carrying forward all departments of Christian work to an equal degree with the Christians belonging to other races represented in our island community.

"The organization of this Church and the creation of this commodious edifice are things for which we are bound to give thanks, AIl that has hitherto been done in behalf of our Chinese population, I think, is only a pleasing earnest of what may be undertaken and successfully accomplished in the coming years, I entertain the fond hope that a light is to be kindled which shall enIighten not a few coming hither but even a greater number now dwelling on the shores of Asia.

"Why not? We have the promise of God to encourage us and the command of our blessed God, 'Go teach the lesser nations!' Surely, the greatest in population shall not be overlooked."

With such an auspicious beginning, the church as well as its spacious building, for the next four and a half decades, served as the focal point of all Chinese mission work in the islands. The first story was a combination parish hall and Sunday School classrooms, while the second floor built as a sanctuary, was where regular worship services were held. The church building was constantly in use not only for regular services and Bible classes, but also for funerals, weddings, wedding receptions, and other social functions. Here hundreds of children as well as many of their parents and other adults in the community were taught both English and Chinese either in the day or evening classes. During the two disastrous fires in Chinatown, one in 1886 and the other in 1898, the church grounds became virtually a refugee camp to house those who were homeless and in dire need of help.

During this early period, the Rev. Samuel Damon took not only a keen in- terest in the work among the Chinese, but he also inspired his son, Frank, to follow in his footsteps. Among those who had made distinguished contributions, he and his young wife, Mary Happer, unquestionably were the bright lights.

Young Damon was born and reared in Hawaii, After graduating from Amherst College in the East, he returned to Honolulu to teach languages at Oahu College, now called Punahou School. In 1877, he accompanied Henry Carter, the Hawaiian minister to the German Imperial Court in Berlin as secretary and interpreter, later promoted to the post of Charge D'affaires. He returned to the islands the middle of 1881, sailing by the way to the Orient. While in China, he met Mary Happer, the daughter of a missionary family, who later became his bride.

Appointed by the Hawaiian Board, as the Superintendent of Chinese work, he labored faithfully for over 30 years until his death in 1915. He and especially his wife, Mary, spoke the Cantonese dialect so perfectly without an accent that many mistook her for a native Chinese.

The two were so well suited to the sacred task of the ministry that the Advertiser warmly commended his appointment with these words:

"This young gentleman, fresh from the scholarship and art of Europe, gives his cultured mind to the work of teaching, harmonizing, and Christianizing the Chinese in the Hawaiian Islands. This noble enterprise is of the mightiest import not only to the Christians seeking the welfare of souls but to the statesmen of Hawaii who must see in such cooperation the hand of God shaping the destiny of the islands to the most glorious results. The government and planters may bring new people here to help increase the wealth, but it is only by the help of such work as that of Frank William Damon that the government of the immigration races can be solved."

Frank and Mother Damon, as they were affectionately called by the Chinese, were not satisf ied merely to minister to the spiritual needs of those around them. They saw the need for a school for young Oriental boys who accompanied their parents to Hawaii and desired an education that would better fit them for permanent residence here. Finally in 1892, he was able to gather enough resources to start his Mills School on Chaplain Lane, Mills being the surname of his grandmother. Five Chinese and one Japanese were his first students. His lone Japanese student later finished his medical studies on the mainland and then returned to become one of Honolulu's best known physicians. His school gradually outgrowing its downtown quarters, was moved to Manoa, and finally combined with the Kawaiahao Girls' Seminary to become the Mid-Pacific Institute of today. To meet the needs of the sick, they launched a campaign to construct the Wai Wah Yee Yin, a hospital located on Robello Lane in the Palama area with W.S. Akana as superintendent, Chan Kok Sun, the Chinese Physician, and Dr, K. F. Li, who with his young bride were newly arrivals to the islands as "foreign physician" (one who is trained in Western medicine.)

In the April issue of the Friend, it called attention to the peculiarly Christian character of the dedicatory exercise, due largely to the great influence of Mr. Goo Kim, who besides being an early convert and a successful merchant, was later appointed as China's Commercial Agent in Hawaii. At the service, the Rev. Mr. Lin delivered the opening prayer; the Rev. Mr. Wong read the Scriptures, Rev. Frank Damon was the principal speaker while the benediction was pronounced by Dr, Hyde.

In his speech, Dr. Damon mentioned the fact that while the hospital is not technically a missionary institution, it is nevertheless an expression in tangible form of a great onward movement in the life of a race which receives impulse from the Divine Founder of Christianity as formulated in the Golden Rule and that "one of the Chinese physicians who has been engaged to assist in the work of the hospital is a graduate with satisfactory diploma from a medical school connected with the great missionary hospital in Canton. It is a most interesting fact that this young Chinese gentleman with his wife, also a graduate of the same school, recently passed the satisfactory examination before physicians appointed by our Board of HeaIth to conduct same, receiving their cordial and appreciative commendation, (He was referring to Dr, K. F. Li and his wife). May the Divine blessing be invoked on this undertaking, It is significant that the Chinese recognized the value and propriety of Christianity as preeminently a religion of philanthropy."

For years afterwards, the Chinese Church maintained one of the wards with six beds at the hospital as one of its missionary projects.

As the number of young people began to swell the membership, a new section was added to the back of the existing building, It was a large, spacious cottage which later came to be used as the home of the first kindergarten in Hawaii and the training center for its teachers.

At its June 10, 1892 meeting, the Hawaiian Board was approached by Mr, Damon with the possibility of starting a kindergarten at the Chinese Church, According to the minutes, the suggestion was "most kindly entertained" and was to prove a "potent and helpful factor second to none in illuminating and beautifying the lives of scores of needy ones in our midst of different nationalities."

Using the new cottage on the Chinese Church premises as a classroom, Miss Mildred Kinney with the assistance of Miss Hattie Chang, a church member, gathered together 11 tiny tots, children of members of the church and residents of Chaplain Lane. This was the beginning of the kindergarten movement in Hawaii.

In this humble beginning, the only equipment they had at first consisted of a "handful of wiliwili seeds and some bits of chalk." Miss Kinney recalls that her pupils included several "whose bound feet required their fathers to carry them to and from the school."

Just two years later, Mr, Damon reported to the Hawaiian Board that "no agency in our mission work is accomplishing better results and it is just on the threshold of its usefulness, Well on to 200 little children in our Chinese mission during the past two years have come under its beneficial influence."

The success of the first kindergarten led to the opening of another for Chinese children in the Gospel Hall Mission on Hotel Street, On February 1, 1893, a similar one for Hawaiian children was organized in the home of the Queen Emma on Alakea Street, Subsequent schools included one for the Portuguese children on Miller Street, the M.C. Rice Kindergarten and one for the Japanese children

Around 1893, when Central Union discarded its old pipe organ, the church purchased, renovated and had it dedicated on May 20 with Mrs. A. F. Judd playing on it for the first time. It was such a memorable occasion that Mr. Damon wrote about it with these glowing words: "As far as l know this is the largest church organ now in use by any congregation of Chinese Protestant Christians in the world. A kind Providence has brought to us this noble instrument and I cannot but feel that it will be a source of uplifting and inspiration to those who are privileged to listen to it. W. K. Fong Yap already shows he is likely soon to be at home amidst the intricacies of the pedals and stops."

As more and more Chinese immigrants came to these islands, the challenge of evangelism became greater and greater. Hence, it was felt necessary to establish mission stations in various islands as well as in the different sections of the growing city of Honolulu. On Hawaii, these included one in Kohala, another in Hilo. On Maui, there was one in Wailuku and another at Makawao. On Kauai, the three centers were Waimea, Hanapepe and Hanalei where there were thriving rice plantations. In Honolulu, besides the Gospel Hall on Hotel Street, another was started near Aala Park, known as the Aala Branch Mission.

It was at the Gospel Hall Mission that the Chinese Debating Society had its inception. This small group of young and progressive Chinese men met regularly Friday evenings at the home of the Damons to practice their art of public speaking,

Mr, Damon so identified himself with the Chinese that he encouraged them not only in things spiritual but in the things they were vitally concerned. For example: When Dr, Sun Yat Sen came to Hawaii to launch his Revolutionary Movement known as "Hsing Chung Hui" (Revive Chinese Society), he suggested that the Chinese take up military training to fit themselves for leading the revolution in China. They were able to secure the services of a Danish sea Captain who had been with the Chinese Navy but had come to Hawaii to live. Mr. Damon very kindly allowed his school grounds for them to drill.

In 1886, a Chinese mission was started here in Honolulu by the Church of England. In that year, the Rev. Dr. Herbert H. Gowen, a world famous Sinologist, arrived from England at the invitation of Bishop Willis to work among the Chinese. They held services at the Saint Andrew's Cathedral for awhile. A group left our church to join this new Anglican Mission, When they called Rev. Kong Yin Tet as the first Chinese Anglican priest in Hawaii, they built the St, Peter's Church.

After many, many years of fruitful services, Mr, Damon finally died in 1915, and the former President of Kamehameha School, Mr, Olsen took charge of the Chinese work for a short time. He was a very good worker, but the Chinese committee of the Hawaiian Board, of which Mr, C. K. Ai was then a member, thought a younger man was needed to take a more active part in the work. Rev. Henry P. Judd, the superintendent of work among the Hawaiians, recommended his former classmate at Princeton Theological Seminary, the Rev. Norman C. Schenck, as Mr, Damon's permanent successor. Mr. Schenck proved to be a most effective worker. He was sincere, straightforward at times, yet very tactful in dealing with the Chinese. To the High School and college students of his day, he gave undauntedly of his time and effort. The combined leadership of Mr, Schenck in the church, Miss Anna M. Billie of the Sunday School and finally the Rev, K. F. Lum of Nuuanu Y.M.C.A. gave to the Chinese Community many of today's unselfish leaders with deep Christian convictions and dedicated spirits.

At the turn of the century, another Gospel Hall was started on Beretania and Maunakea Streets under the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah MacKenzie. When the work grew, permission was granted to form a second Chinese Congregational Church in 1915. The cornerstone for the new structure was laid in 1917 and the new church building was dedicated in June of 1918 with the Rev. Tse Kei Yuen as its first pastor. In 1933, a group of its younger members left to form what is now known as the Community Church. In 1948, the Beretania Church moved to its present site on Judd Street to be renamed as the United Church of Christ.

In 1919, the Fort Street Chinese Church finally became of age and attained the status of self-support, From that time on, not only did it not receive finan- cial help from the Mlssion Board, but contributed its share of support to assist the general work as well.

It was about this time that the three Chinese churches along with St. Elizabeth Episcopal Church and the Chinese Y.M.C.A. decided to buy a piece of land in Pauoa to establish a Chinese Christian Cemetery. As the other Christian Cemetery in Makiki owned solely by the Chinese Y.M.C.A. was being filled so rapidly, there was felt an urgent need to purchase another property to meet future requirements, Today now stand two cemeteries as final resting places for the saints who have gone before us.

As the Chinese population near Chinatown in downtown Honolulu gradually began to shift to the suburban areas, so that the Fort Street Church was no longer in the center of where the people lived, there was a general feeling on the part of the membership to move to a new location. The last straw came when Princess Theater was erected almost directly opposite to the church. Not only was there a parking problem, but the distraction was not conducive to worship; hence the membership began earnestly to seek a new site.

In 1926, the new site was found at 1054 South King Street on the old Grandville Hotel property. Thereupon, the membership voted to sell the Fort Street property for $65,000 and buy the new site for exactly the same amount. It was Indeed a fair exchange. But during the interim period of a year and a half, we borrowed the use of the Chinese Y.M.C.A. meeting hall back of the Central Fire Station for worship. It was during this particular time that many of our Church records were destroyed due to a disastrous fire.

At the new site, there were some old wooden buildings, but no place for worship. Thereupon, the membership pledged themselves to raise sufficient funds for a new sanctuary as well as a new Parish Hall. One two story wooden building could be converted to Sunday School classrooms. As it was near the depression years, money was hard to come by. Yet the membership persevered in its effort. To start the ball rolling, Mr. and Mrs. C. K. Ai pledged to donate $10,000. When their good friend, Mr, Frank C. Atherton heard of his sacrificial giving, he too put hts name down for a sizeable amount.

The Rev, Mr, Schenck suggested asking for competitive architectural drawings for the new sanctuary, This suggestion was followed and the membership looked over many plans, Finally, the sketch by Architect Hart Wood was seIected, For it combined the architectural arts of old China with that of the newer west. The lowest bidder was Contractor T. Takahashi for a total of $70,000. Although the funds pledged had not yet been fully collected, yet the congregation took a venture of faith by borrowing the money from the Chinese American Bank (now called the American Security Bank). For an additional $5,000, the congregation decided to add the pagoda-like bell tower, To the Chinese, the pagoda symbolizes a place where the evil spirits never dwell, To us as Christians, the reason for this is the Cross which is above the pagoda, The Cross represents our Lord Jesus Christ Who in His death and resur- rection has conquered the wiles of the Evil One, even death itself to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel, Every Sunday morning when the church bell rings, it peals out the Good News, calling people to come and worship this Wonderful God. Two items which the new sanctuary very badly needed were wooden pews and a pipe organ, Through a generous donation, the pews were furnished by City Mill, but when the bank took over City Mill during the depression years, there was a balance still due. In order to retire the indebtedness, members were asked to donate them as memorial pews in memory of the loved ones. The brass name plates are still to be seen at the church. The Artcraft organ costing $12,000 was given by the Farm Cornn's and the C. K. Ai's. And later in the 60's when the old console was termite-infested the Lam Quon's children donated enough funds to install a new one

Other furnishings with great symbolic meaning were given by various families of the church. The Inscription of four Chinese characters, "Glory Be To God" was a gift from the Kohala Chinese Church. The two stained glass windows, one in the front and the other in the back of the church, symbolize God's eternal light shining through to bless every service. The chandeliers made of wrought iron were imported to symbolize that we worship God without ceasing all four seasons of the year, Plum blos- som represents spring, Orchid, summer; Chrysanthemum, autumn; Bamboo, winter.

The symbol on the pews is an ancient one which represents eternal blessedness. Unfortunately Hitler took this ancient Chinese symbol and reversed it into his swastika , from a noble to one which is ignoble. During the early period at our new site, the church sponsored not only a Sunday School and a Chinese Day School; it also saw the need of establishing a branch Sunday School known as the City-wide Sunday School on Liliha Street, under the leadership of Mrs, Eva Kong Yee and Mrs, Amy W. Richardson, Mrs. Yee is the wife of the Rev. Yee Tien Kui, who worked as a mission worker under the auspices of the Hawaiian Board for many years. The Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Lowry Davies took over the responsibility upon the death of Mrs. Yee Kui. It continued until the retirement of Mr. Davies. When there was a need to raise money for China Relief, the five Chinese Churches along with the Chinese Catholic Club co-sponsored a dinner known as a Bowl of Rice. It was so successfully held on our church grounds that it continued for many years until the outbreak of the second World War in 1941.

After the war, the Rev, Fung Tet Yin retired from many years of fruitful ministry at the church to return to his wife and children in Hong Kong whom he had not seen for many years. Thereupon, the Rev. Charles Kwock was called to be the minister in 1946.

In 1949, the church commemorated its 70th Anniversary with a week of religious services and observances, beginning with a Communion Service on Sunday morning and an Anniversary Servlce in the afternoon on June 5. A public reception on Wednesday, a Banquet on Friday and a concert of sacred music on the following Sunday evening.

For the Anniversary, Mrs, C. K. Ai personally solicited enough Memorial Gifts to furnish the Chancel with a new altar, a new communion table, two new pulpits with four chairs as well as new draperies. The Chong family donated a Baptismal Fount in loving memory of their father, The Rev, Chong How Fo.

The occasion was such an auspicious one that the Hawaiian Chinese Journal editorialized by saying: "When a business concern announces a 70th Anniversary celebration, it is customary for them to make a progress report to the public. If the First Chinese Church, which is in the business of teaching and spreading the Christian faith, were to make such a report, it would run like this.

"The Church was formed in 1879 by a group of 36 members with quarters at the old Bethel Mission, Since that time we have had an unfailing record of growth and service, moving to our present large quarters on King Street in 1927, and numbering at the present some 800 members.

During that time our customers have had the benefit of the teaching and guidance of 30 ministers, and the support of several generations of not only Chinese people, but other races who believe in our work.

The business of Christianity has been pushed with vigor and perseverance, and we have not only convinced many of its worth, but once having done business with them, have kept them as our good patrons.

On our 70th Anniversary celebration we stand on firm ground, and we look forward to continuing our services for many more years. We ask our old friends to reaffirm their loyalty to our cause, and we ask all who are interested to take up stocks in our company. We know that it will be mutually beneficial."

To help commemorate our 70th Anniversary, Sung Jun Church in Kowloon, Hong Kong sent a silk embroidered scroll with these words in Chinese, "its Gospel A Great Liqht," and a couplet from Rev, Fung Tet Yin which reads: "7th Decade, Beglns The Celebration; 6th Month Began The Proclamation of the word."

Over the years, many memorial gifts were added such as electric organs, pianos, teakwood table and chairs, books in the library, drinking fountains, a church sign in front of the church, hymn boards, entrance lights and the like. But the one which touches the human hearts most deeply was that of Miss Too Ping Hou, who though limited in means left her entire estate of $4000 to the Church, It was indeed "the widow's mite."

For our 75th Anniversary or Diamond Jubilee observance in 1954, we conducted a week of preaching mission with the Rev, Dr, Harry J. Hager, Pastor of the Bethany Reformed Church of Chicago, Illinois as the featured speaker, During that year, Eugene Yap was chairman of the Board, and a new parsonage was built to house the minister and his family, as the old one was so dilapidated that its ceiling actually caved in on the pastor's wife as she was cooking her evening's meal for the family.

As the wok began to grow, we find our present area inadequate for future expansion, Hence, we were looking for more room, Fortunately, through the efforts of Mr. Benjamin Kong, we were able to purchase the adjacent property on the Ewa side of the church from Captain and Mrs. Jennings, an area of a little over 32,000 square feet for the sum of $145,000. It was a real answer to prayer; for the two prospective buyers fought the case up to the Supreme Court of Hawaii for the option of purchase.

Towards the back part of the property, which was once a garage for the tenants in the front apartment building, the church constructed in 1958 its new Parish Hall now known as The Master's Hall. It is so called because it is dedicated for the glory of God and for the developing of well-rounded Christian personalities.

A plaque of Chinese granite which graces the front entrance of the hall on Young Street has this for its design, a Cross bordered by an octagon inscribed with 5 Chinese characters, This design was inspired by a verse in the Bible, Luke 2:52. Since Jesus while young, grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man, we, too would like to help our members, especially children and young people develop in these 4 ways: Physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially, So we intend to use the hall for the development of man's body, mind, spirit and his social nature, resulting in a well-rounded personality.

The octagon bordering the Cross is an ancient Chinese symbol called "Pa-Kwa". These eight trigrams of 3 broken and straight lines represent the eight basic elements of life, heaven, earth, man, metal, wood, water, f ire, and soil; all in turn symbolizes the totality of life. Since Jesus is at the center of one's life, that life is complete and there is a wholeness for his living.

Also, the couplet in the foyer by Mr. Yap Kui.

The building of the Master's Hall was in reality a miracle in itself. With a financial commitment of $145,000 in 1957, how dared we commit ourselves to further indebtedness in 1958?

The miracle unfolded itself in this way:

During the Christmas of 1957, while we were practicing a play in the sanctuary, a member, Robert Yee, casually spoke to the minister that the old gymnasium at Fort Kamehameha was out for sale to make room for the new enlarged airport. That it was a steel structure which could be dismantled and re-assembled on the Church grounds. After a committee was detailed out to give it a close look, it was finally decided to bid for it. The structure was 94 feet by 180 feet. Although the length was too long for our property yet the width was just right for our use. We bought the steel structure for $12,000 and sold the rest of the steel we could not use for $1,000.

After the structure was re-assembled on the church campus, many mem-bers and even womenfolk came after work each day to help in the construction of that new building. The f inal cost was $127,000 for a total floor space of 12,864 square feet which is less than $10.00 a square foot. This structure now stands as a steel frame building with hollow tile walls, high-grade aluminum roof ing, accoustical plastered ceiling, hardwood floor, glass louver windows and hardwood oak doors. The ceiling of the building is 20 feet high, enough for basketball, volleyball, and other types of sports. There is a big stage, a modern equipped kitchen, a foyer, two offices, and two large restrooms with showers. The auditorium can seat about 1,200 for regular meetings and about 900 for dinners of a banquet nature.

Even with the addition of the Master's Hall, we found ourselves still cramped for space, as the high school and college departments of our Sunday School were still meeting at a nearby public school. After a continual use of about 6 years, the school department felt it was long enough not to violate the State ordinance of private institution using public property on a long term basis. Hence, the church was obliged to construct a new educational building on the church campus to house the entire Sunday School.

In 1964, ground was broken in order to make room for the new building, four old wooden buildings were demolished. Of the four, only Damon Hall was built in 1928 as a new Parish Hall for the church, the other three were old Grandville Hotel buildings which were renovated for church use.

On November 1965, the new structure named Founders' Building, was dedicated with the contractor handing the keys over to architect Howard Wong and he in turn to Benjamin Kong, the Chairman of our Church Board. The building is a three-story structure with 4 large assembly halls which may be divided into classrooms. In order to perpetuate the memory of both Frank Damon and Goo Kam, two of the larger halls were named after them, AIl told there are about 10 classrooms on each floor. The construction cost of 15,000 square feet of floor space came up finally to $217,000, with an additional of about $15,000 as equipments for Sunday School, daily Preschool and other uses.