Moku'aikaua Church

Moku'aikaua Church, across Ali'i Drive from Hulihe'e Palace, is the oldest Christian church in Hawaii. Built in 1837 from lava stone and ohia wood, it has been in continuous use ever since. The interior is simple and cool, with exposed timber trusses and a model of the brig Thaddeus that brought the first missionaries from New England in 1820.

The church is still an active congregation and holds regular services. Visitors are welcome during the day. The building and its history are a reminder that Kailua-Kona was where the transformation of Hawaiian society was set in motion — the first missionaries landing on this bay, the kapu system just abolished, the kingdom one generation from collapse.

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The first missionaries to Hawaii landed at Kailua Bay in April 1820, less than a year after Kamehameha's death and the abolition of the kapu system had left a spiritual vacuum across the islands. Moku'aikaua was built on land granted by the chiefs and completed in 1837 — the church that stands now is the third version, built from lava rock and ohia timber. The steeple at 27 metres was the tallest structure in Hawaii for most of the 19th century.

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