About West Kauai United Methodist Church
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
The beginning of "West Kauai UMC" began after hurrican Iniki struck in 1992 when we were two separate worship locations. The Kekaha Sanctuary is located in a former sugar mill town whereas the Kaumakani Sanctuary is affectionately known as the "church in the cane field." Kaumakani's site was devastated by the hurricanes and that brought the separate bodies together in worship, service, and support. Since then, West Kauai UMC became One Church. Two locations.
WKUMC is a multi-cultural and diverse ohana with strong roots in the Filipino and local communities. We invite you to join us on Sunday mornings, where our "extended ohana" from all over the world travel to Kaua'i and call WKUMC their home away from home. Together we experience God's life-giving love for all.
Our Story
Past & Present
From the humble homes of immigrant plantation workers originally from Korea and the Philippines, the “circuit west” approach of spreading the gospel by Methodists, world-wide, began on dusty dirt roads which brought the pastor to the villages of Kaumakani as early as 1910. Kekaha was soon after.
Eventually, two sanctuaries were built: the first on land provided by the Robinson family “in the middle of the canefield” in Kaumakani, fronting one of the early campsites consisting of a few houses nearby. The second sanctuary was built near the houses for plantation workers at Kekaha.
From each, the voices of members were raised in song, cultural sharings, sermon-messages, and prayer. Sometimes in English
and often in the Ilocano dialect, the mother-language of most of the Filipino laborers’ families on their faith journeys with Christ on the island of Kauai.
The Kaumakani sanctuary has survived hurricane damage twice, and continues to be a haven of worship for folks throughout the west side of Kaua'i, and many others who journey from across the island to attend service and be a part of the life of the mission projects and community events. From the Kaumakani kitchen grew the desire to feed and minister to the elderly and homeless in our west side. the Managan Tayon: Let's Eat Program has been serving many with a well-balanced nutritional meal twice a month and delivered to our neighbors in Eleele, Hanapepe, Kaumakani, Waimea and Kekaha.
The Kekaha sanctuary was a single-walled wooden structure that hosted rough wooden benches as pews in it’s original location but was demolished after the dedication of the new church in 1947, which is still currently in use. The fellowship hall is named “Runes Hall” after the organizing pastor who used it for worship during construction of the sanctuary.
The hurricanes were instrumental in bringing the congregational members from the two churches merged together in worship.
While the Kaumakani church went through a renovation in the early 1990s, both congregations decided to combine their worship service.
And so through the years of being “brothers and sisters in Christ” and being served by the same appointed pastors, there was an immediate recognition of our strength in unity which led the way to the joint decision to merge!
Thus, emerged the West Kauai United Methodist Church.
Our Beliefs
Scripture
We share with other Christians the belief that Scripture is the primary source and criterion for Christian witness. Through scripture the living Christ meets us in the experience of redeeming grace in the daily living of our faith and through the life of the church. In our faithful reading of Scripture, we come to know God's reconciling activity in our own lives and the life of the world.
Tradition
The story of the church reflects the most basic sense of tradition, the continuing activity of God's Spirit transforming human life. Tradition is the history of that continuing environment of grace in and by which all Christians live, God's self giving love, in Jesus Christ. As a Christian people we share in a common history invigorated by the diversity of cultural, historical, and ethnic traditions that comprise our own community.
Experience
Our experience interacts with Scripture. We read Scripture in light of the conditions and events that shape who we are, and we interpret our experience in terms of Scripture. It is personal. It is communal. And, sometimes human experience challenges our understanding such as the inequality, violence, hunger, and loneliness of our own hearts but also the hearts of the world. It is through the awareness of our diverse experiences that we interpret the promises God's love and grace.
Reason
We recognize the presence of God active in scripture, tradition, and within our experiences. We also understand that our faith as a Christian people is informed by the careful use of reason. By reason we read, witness, question, discern, and relate as the beloved community of God. In our quest for reasoned understandings of Christian faith we seek to grasp, express, and live out the gospel in a way that is thoughtful, inspired by, and in following God's ways.
Kekaha Sanctuary
8563 Elepaio Road
Kekaha, HI 96752
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2nd Sunday 9:30a - 10:30a
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4th Sunday 9:30a - 10:30a
Kaumakani Sanctuary
Kaumualii Hwy, Kaumakani
HI 96747
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1st Sunday 9:30a - 10:30a
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3st Sunday 9:30a - 10:30a
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5st Sunday 9:30a - 10:30a
Mailing Address
PO Box 298
Kekaha, HI 96752