Po'okela Church
The Po`okela Church is one of the oldest in Hawaii, formed in 1843 by Rev. Green, a missionary, for an all-hawaiian congregation. Excerpts from Green’s Diary and photos shown below give a window into the past of this historic site.
Excerpts from Jonathan Green’s letter, dated July 4, 1850 to The American Missionary Association
(Rev. Green sometimes wrote over a period of time before posting his letter)
Concerning the construction of the church building:
July 23 Today I met my people at the marker about a mile distant from my house to select a site for a meeting house. This place is quite central and will accommodate more people than my other place in my field. It is a beautiful, God-made country, having groves of the koa and the kukui in the vicinity, We surveyed the ground and made arrangements for building and looked to God for His blessing on the enterprise. The people contributed last year about $800 which they paid at once. They designed to pay as much this year and we were to have a wooden house. But on account of the depression of the times, the great scarcity of money, most of the people are unable to contribute. We have therefore determined to build a stone house as the people can procure the stone, sand, lime, timber… having carts and oxen, and they can put up the walls with their own hands. They seem very cheerful and if they hold on and put up the walls, they will be able with the funds which they have on hand to finish or nearly so at once. We shall in this way be likely to obtain a more substantial house and at less cost in money to the people.
Rev. Jonathan Green: Founding Pastor
Mrs. Asenath Green: helped to guide the church after her husbands death in 1878.
August 6th — Today I met with the people at Pumalu* again. Many came with their implements of labor, each bringing a load of coral for the lime. While some of the them were digging a pit for burning lime, we gathered the youth and children around the place of digging and examined them as to their knowledge of church history, moral science and other studies. This I did to encourage the people to go ahead with their work …
*readability of the old letter was unclean, could be Pumalii
This 2008 photo exhibits the typical weather that Jonathan Green experienced in the 1800’s, also, he
often mentioned the “torrential rains” in his letters.
Concerning Citizenship:
You will not be greatly surprised to learn, that, being thus sustained by a Hawaiian church, I have taken the oath of allegiance to the Hawaiian Government, and am now a naturalized citizen of the Sandwich Islands. … I trust that the King has found in me a loyal subject for more than eighteen years. I ascertained, however, that the King was particularly anxious that all foreign residents who mean to spend any considerable time at the islands, who profess to seek the good of the people and the nation, should become naturalized.
… Need I make an apology to any of my friends in the United States for having become a Hawaiian subject? If so, I will say that it is my desire so to live and labor, as the D’Aubigne said of Calvin, “He was neither French nor Swiss, nor Genoise —he was of the city of God,” so it may be said of me, I became naturalized not, that I “had aught to accuse my own nation of,” so far as I am personally concerned, but simply because, situated as I am at present, I cannot be an “American,” and cannot but be a Hawaiian subject.
… I always designed to obey the laws, or leave the country, If in the providence of God I am called to leave the islands and return to the United States, I shall easily regain my citizenship; if not called to leave, I am willing to cast in my lot with the people, to live and die with them.
Concerning provisions:
…. During the year — I say it with grateful emotions— “we have lacked nothing.” … Our wheat, corn, and Irish potatoes, or firends from Kula supply. The last year we had more wheat that usual. Kalo, sweet potatoes, pia, and other articles, and supplied from Hamakua. We had also from various parts of the field, banana or plantain, melons, squashes, onions, and cabbage; fowls, turkeys, eggs, &c. … We fatten our own fork, and make our own butter. …
Excerpts from Jonathan Green’s letter, dated October 31, 1845 to The American Missionary Association, published in the AMA journal, May 11, 1846.
The third year of our residence among this people as Pastor and Teach, sustained, under God, by their liberality, closed February 7th. That day, we, i.e. my family and our people, spent as a day of thanksgiving and praise in view of the great kindness of our Lord to us all during the year … At the conclusion of the meeting, we sat down together, and with hearts of gratitude, I trust, partook of the bounties of Providence prepared after the manner of Hawaii.
