Mokuaikaua Church stands on Aliʻi Drive in historic downtown Kailua-Kona. The congregation describes itself as the first Christian church established in the Hawaiian Islands. Two buildings stood before the present church, which Governor Kuakini had built in the nineteenth century with Hawaiians working alongside missionaries, and its walls are stone masonry. A stone arch was built to commemorate an anniversary of the arrival of the first American congregational missionaries. A preservation project strengthened the stone masonry walls with steel and replaced damaged ʻōhiʻa posts and beams, some of which had been cut in Kona's upland forests. It is still an active church, with Sunday morning worship, so be respectful during services.
Good to know
Stone church built under Governor Kuakini
Stone arch built for a missionary anniversary
Active congregation with Sunday worship
