Serving Hilo since 1869 ~ Serving you today!
Our History
Summary: King Kamehameha V granted the charter to our congregation in 1868. We have occupied several different buildings: first the “Seaman’s Bethel” where our founders met prior to getting the charter, then our first church building, which was dedicated in 1868. That building was soon outgrown and our second building was dedicated in 1896. 73 years later, in 1969, our congregation moved to its current location.
We have a feeling of strong continuity with our past. The stones of our church tower have come from the old Seaman’s Bethel, and have been a part of each of our buildings. Our stained glass windows, and our organ, came from our previous building.
When our church was founded, it was named the “First Foreign Church of Hilo”. It was formed for the English speaking people in Hilo, who were relative newcomers to the Big Island. During our church’s history, we have continued to embrace newcomers to our island, while cherishing our traditions and Christian heritage. Currently, our congregation has members whose family roots go far back into the history of the Big Island, as well as newcomers and long-time residents who came from the mainland, and many first and second generation immigrants from the Pacific area and other parts of the world.
Our Beginnings: from our church archives: by Rev. C. W. Hill, 1904, “for the Ministerial Convention”: “In the days when gold fever was raging in California, the whaling vessels of the North were wont to avoid San Francisco, partly because provisions were dear, but chiefly because sailors would desert their ships to join the quest for gold. As a result, the Hawaiian Island s became the whaler’s rendezvous for fresh water and supplies. Hilo Bay was often enlivened by large fleets, and numerous sailors visited its shores.
Hitherto the missionary spirit had concerned itself with the Hawaiian race, but now a new problem was presented, that of preaching the gospel to sailors.”
As a result, a stone building, the “Seaman’s Bethel”, was dedicated to minister to the crews of the many ships anchoring in Hilo Bay – some report as many as 50 to100 ships here at a time. This building also became the meeting place of the English speaking people of Hilo, who, there, decided in 1857 to apply to the American Seaman’s Friends Society to send a minister whose primary responsibility would be to minister to the sailors, and secondarily, to the English speaking population of Hilo. However, nothing came of this effort because of economic reasons. Continuing with Rev. Hill’s report:
“During the Civil War in America the Confederate Ship Shenandoa went up the coast of the Pacific and assailed and destroyed the whaling fleets of the North. After that blow the industry was never pursued with its former vigor. The visits of whalers to these shores grew constantly less, and the Seaman’s cause in Hilo waned. In 1867 a minister was sought to act ‘primarily as Pastor to the foreign community, and secondarily as Seaman’s chaplain.’ A religious society was formed, and, in February of the following year, ‘The First Foreign Church of Hilo’ was recognized.”
The Lyman museum has some of the documents relating to our early history in their display; and you can see a copy of our charter in our narthex.
1868 - 1943
The charter for the First Foreign Church was granted July 7, 1868, and the new church building was dedicated July 26, 1868. It was located on the corner of Kinoole and Haili Streets. Rev. Lyman and Rev. Coan conducted the dedication service; the newly called minister, Rev. Thompson, was still on the mainland. The construction of the building was not without problems: when a near-magnitude 8 earthquake hit the island in April 1868, it lowered the foundation that was under construction at that time by more than a foot, and the plans for the building were revised.
The congregation grew; and the existing building could not house a pipe organ, which the congregation wanted. So, a new, larger, building was constructed and dedicated in 1897. The old building, minus its bell tower, was moved to another location to serve as the Hilo public library until the present public library was constructed.
Our archives record that during these years, the women of the church were very active in fund raising projects for the church, and, through their membership in the Women’s Board of Missions, supported many local and far away mission projects, such as the free Kindergarten in Hilo, which opened in 1895, the start of the Waiakea Settlement 1900- 1906, mission projects in China and India, and, in WWI, the British War Relief, and many more.
In 1929, the organ needed extensive repairs, and the trustees decided to replace it with a new one, by Robert Morton. This organ, which was upgraded in later years, is still in use in our present sanctuary.
Because military chaplains for the National Guard were scarce here, Rev. Talmadge, our pastor at the time, was asked in 1940 to arrange services for the military, and for certain ships that lay in harbor. For some time, Rev. Talmadge had to conduct 5 or 6 extra services each Sunday for the military and naval personnel. Immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor, only 10 people could assemble at any time. Rev. Talmadge conducted a series of small services for the congregation all day long on Sunday, Dec. 14, 1941, and spoke over the radio in the morning and the evening that Sunday. The next Sunday, regular church services could be resumed.
1944 – now
The name “Foreign Church” wasn’t appropriate any more, so, in 1954, the congregation changed the name to “First United Protestant Church”.
Termites were attacking the building. Parking was becoming a problem; and traffic noises around the church were becoming bothersome. Therefore, in the 1960s, the congregation decided to erect a new building, on a different site. At that time, a merger with United Community Church was under discussion. The plans for the new building were drawn up to accommodate the merged congregations. However, United Community Church voted against the merger, but the building went ahead as planned, and, in the year of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the church, ground was broken for the new building.
Around 1983, Rev. Serfass and the congregation decided to establish a ministry to the Ilocano-speaking people of Hilo and environs. With the Ilocano families of our congregation as the leadership for this program, Ilocano worship services and bible study were held at First United Protestant church for 8 years. Rev. D. Nebres, of Cosmopolitan UCC in Honolulu, came twice a month from Honolulu to conduct Ilocano worship services and bible study.
In the early 1990s, when Rev. Buck was pastor of FUPC, UHH students from Kosrae and Hilo families from Kosrae started to make FUPC their church home. At about the same time, the Hilo Marshallese Congregation started to hold their worship services in our sanctuary. We are pleased to announce that the Hilo Marshallese Ministry has now been fully accepted as a new church of the United Church of Christ.
As we have done in the past and are doing in the present, we will always be there for those who need us.
Note to students of history: we have extensive archives of church documents. You are welcome to come and look at them. Give us an e-mail at fupchilo@hawaiiantel.net to make arrangements to do so.
This page last updated: 4/3/06