Calvary Chapels Respond to Devastation in Maui
Little remains of coastal Lahaina, Maui, after a wildfire ravaged the west side of the popular Hawaiian island on Tuesday, August 8. The scene is apocalyptic: smoking husks of vehicles still parked along streets and driveways, scorched remnants of boats in the harbor, piles of rubble from burned-out buildings, and skeletal trees.
There are several Calvary Chapel fellowships on the island, affected by the fire and yet offering active assistance in the name of Jesus.
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Tuesday, August 8, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP)
As of Friday, 55 people have been confirmed dead and more are expected, hundreds injured, over 2,000 evacuated—some taken by bus to shelters. Many tourists were stranded at the island’s only airport awaiting resumption of flights. The rapid fury of events has left many reeling in shock and homeless, possessing only the clothes on their backs.
Hannah Housman, wife of Pastor Sean Housman of CC Central Maui, grieved, “The devastation is profound. The lives and homes lost are in the hundreds. So many are displaced. Lahaina is gone.”
Pastor Kirk Milhoan, senior pastor of CC South Maui, noted, “I’ve been deployed to Iraq twice. Lahaina looks like a war zone. It’s a smoldering mess.”
History Destroyed
Lahaina, once known as Lele, which means “relentless sun” in Hawaiian, is home to just over 13,000 people. Drawing 80% of Maui’s tourism, the centuries-old town was home to royalty before Europeans arrived and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The port was a hub for the whaling industry, bringing in missionaries and sailors from around the world. Waiola Church, considered the birthplace of Christianity in Hawaii in the 1800s, is now part of the rubble.
Front Street, named one of the “Top 10” greatest streets, is home to the world’s largest banyan tree, planted in 1873 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first Protestant missionaries. Both are scorched, leaving residents wondering if either will recover.
Calvary Chapels Offer Assistance
Hawaii has been declared a state of emergency and the White House has approved a disaster declaration for the state, releasing federal funds to affected individuals, but immediate needs are vast. Local Calvary Chapels are rising to the occasion, shining their light in the darkness and devastation—offering food, shelter, clothing, medical and pharmaceutical assistance, and most importantly, prayer.
Calvary Chapel South Maui’s food pantry, in operation throughout the COVID pandemic, is open seven days a week; its medical clinic has been instrumental in serving those who need medical attention and obtaining important medications. Congregants have teamed up with the owner of a defunct 200-room hotel to clean up the vacant building and provide needed shelter. Pastor Kirk explained, “This is a chance for the church to step up and be generous. Hebrews 13:16 instructs, But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. For those of us who were not burned, who still have homes, cars, and income, we can be giving and generous,” Kirk explained.
CC Central Maui has established a connection to deliver goods to families in need of immediate aid. “These families have been left with nothing, many have lost loved ones,” Hannah acknowledged. “The spiritual and emotional need is great; people are walking around in a daze.”
About a mile away from Front Street sits CC Westside Maui. Grave concerns grew over the status of the pastor, congregation, and the building itself. With power out and no internet or cell connectivity, many have been praying and hopefully awaiting news of their well-being. Finally, in a video post on Pastor Steve Santos’ Facebook page Thursday evening, his daughter, Jen Ketter, announced the news that her dad and mom were safe—but her aunt, uncle, cousins, and sister and her family all lost their homes and belongings in the fire, as have many of their congregants. Miraculously, the church building itself remains standing, like a pillar of hope, untouched by the inferno that raged around it the day before.
Wildfire wreckage is seen Thursday, August 10, in Lahaina, Hawaii. The search of the wildfire wreckage on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of burned-out homes and obliterated communities as firefighters battled the deadliest blaze in the U.S. in recent years. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Prayer Requests
Many churches on the island are ready to help, but the needs are seemingly insurmountable. While CC Central Maui is receiving online donations, they are asking for prayer that God would illuminate the right course of action, and for wisdom and direction on how to best move forward.
In her video post, Jen asked, “Please pray for my dad and my mom as they navigate stepping in to try to support and lead in the community as they rebuild. Pray for power to come back and just the basic things and for the help everyone needs to come.”
Kirk, from CC South Maui, reflected, “None of us understand all the ways of God and how He works, but these people have nothing. What we have is of utmost importance—and that is Jesus Christ. Pray that people’s hearts would be moved to look at Jesus for the first time, maybe because someone brought them food or water or let them stay in the church or a bedroom in their homes. Pray for us to have a beautiful heart towards those who are devastated.”
Kirk continued, “When tragedies happen, it’s hard to take in, but we need to fall on our knees and repent. We have to ask, why did the sovereign God allow this to happen to our island? I feel this is a wake-up call from God to our island. Second Chronicles 7:14 says, ‘If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.’ If we are going to be these great ministers, we have to cast aside all our idols and repent, asking the Lord to please use us.”
"To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
— Isaiah 61:3
For information about helping financially, contact the following churches:
• Calvary Chapel South Maui (calvarymaui.org)
• Calvary Chapel West Side Maui (calvarywestside.com)
• Calvary Central (calvarycentral.com)
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