How it all started

When God moves, there is great power. After a series of evangelistic meetings among the Japanese, testimonies of miraculous healing, and long periods of fasting and prayer, a revival had swept through a church in the late 1920's. That church was the Waialae Holiness Church, and as a result of that church's growth, the new Honolulu Holiness Church was formed in 1932 (later to be called Honolulu Christian Church in 1983). English ministries began within the first couple of years, mainly for children and youth.



In the 1940's and 50's there was substantial growth, leading to the need for a new "home" for God's family. The church moved from Moiliili St. to Alexander St., then to Heulu St. in Makiki. By 1959, the church purchased and moved to the current property on Oahu Ave. In the 1960's the church built a new worship center. In the 1970's, a radio ministry was started, and there was tremendous growth among youth and university students through the church's gospel ministry on the University of Hawaii, Manoa, campus. By the 1980's, many of these young people entered into full-time gospel ministry and long-term missionary service. The new educational building at the Oahu campus was completed during this time, to accommodate the growing ministry. With growth comes the birth of new churches as well. The Pearl City Highland Holiness Church (now West Oahu Christian Church) was started by a group from HCC in the 1970s.



Through its life, HCC has had periods of victory and periods of challenges. In God's eyes, both are periods of growth. Like a tree, that bears all its leaves and fruit in the summer, and then endures all its barrenness in the winter, the life of a church too has its seasons of summer and winter. It's all part of God's faithful plan to nurture and grow His people, Christ's Church. Today, we are in a season of spring. Consider joining this local family of God with all the new life, hope, love, and dreams that this season brings.

what we believe

The beliefs of Honolulu Christian Church are evangelical, that is, they are part of that branch of Protestant churches that affirms the authority of Scripture, and salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, rather than by one's works. We meet the historic doctrinal  standards set forth in the Apostle's Creed (4th century), and the Nicene Creed (325 A.D.). Our beliefs also align with the beliefs of the OMS Holiness Church of North America, to which HCC belongs. Below are the specific beliefs of HCC:


  • The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of people, and the Divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17) 
  • There is one true God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 2:9) 
  • Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.  He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures.  Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.  (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 John 2:1; Luke 1:35) 
  • The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to regenerate the sinner, convict people of sin, indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service.  (John 15:26; John 16:7-14) 
  • Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.  (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; John 3:3) 
  • The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and so become believers.  (Hebrews 9:22; Romans 5:1; John 3:16) 
  • The Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism by immersion are ordinances to be observed by the Church during this present age.  They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation.  (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) 
  • The personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ is our “blessed hope” and has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.  (1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; Acts 1:11; 1 John 3:1-3) 
  • The true Church is composed of all such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which He is the head.  (Ephesians 4:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13). 
  • Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church and every local church has the right, under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs.  (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) 
  • The bodily resurrection of the dead, of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.  (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)