Olivet Baptist Church celebrates 100 years in Honolulu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – One of Honolulu’s oldest Southern Baptist churches celebrates its 100th birthday in July.

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It all began in the heart of Honolulu in 1926 when a group of missionaries started meeting with a few local residents.

“When that little group first formed on July 4th of 1926, they gathered together under the name of Mission Church,” said senior pastor Jamie McElrath.

Over the years, the congregation grew, drawing the community in, and the name of the church was later changed to Olivet Baptist.

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, longtime church member Pearl Arashiro recalls why she became a member of this congregation.

“When WWII started, the missionaries from Japan came here. They could also speak Japanese, so they impressed our parents being that they were Caucasian and they are all speaking Japanese. We all started coming to church,” Arashiro recalled.

“I came to Olivet as a child. My first recollection of Olivet was when I was about 5 years old, and my Auntie Carol and my Uncle Masaharu got married here. I have a long history with Olivet,” said longtime member Faith McFatridge.

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Dean Morihara says he has been coming to the Beretania Street church since the days of “Leave it to Beaver,” a popular TV show from the ’50s.

“Those days, there weren’t as many churches, you know, and so all of it was like a central church, and people kind of gravitated here,” he said.

McElrath said, “In each era or season of the history of Honolulu, and the history of the Hawaiian islands, the church has played a role in that history and we’ve seen God bless and faithfully empowered the church to be a light for the gospel and a presence in the community.”

Church member Teren Young said, “I’m excited about the 100 years. It’s crazy, kind of exciting to see what the future will bring. Awesome people who helped build up this church and keep it moving.”

“We pour ourselves out for His glory to make people come into contact with His love, to become His followers, and to care for the needs to the church and the community around us,” said McElrath.

In honor of its 100th birthday, a number of activities will take place at Olivet Baptist Church on Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a special worship service on Sunday, July 5, at 10:30 a.m.

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For details, visit www.olivetbaptist.org.