Posted on: Saturday, August 4, 2001

Apostolic Faith Church seeks to save souls

A Neon cross adorns the awning above the entrance to Kalihi's Apostolic Faith Church. The church was established in 1923 and remains a landmark to community and congregation members. Kyle Sackowski • The Honolulu Advertiser

• Name of church: The Apostolic Faith Church

• Our denomination: Pentecostal

• Where we are: 1043 Middle St. in Kalihi

• Our numbers: About 1,000 people attend services every Sunday.

• Our pastor: William M. Han Sr.

• What we believe: "We believe in Jesus, (that) is the main thing," Han said. "We believe that the most important thing in our Gospel is to see souls saved. That's the . . . number one priority."

• Our history: Charles and Ada B. Lochbaum, founders of the church, arrived in Honolulu from Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 1923. Members recognize the day of the Lochbaums' arrival as the date the church was founded. The congregation first gathered under a tent at the site where the present church stands. The first permanent structure was dedicated on April 6, 1924. The present church, also known as a temple, was completed and formally consecrated on Aug. 2, 1959.

Han, born in Waialua and raised in Ho'olehua, Moloka'i, followed Lochbaum as the new, full-time pastor on March 5, 1959. Before that, Han was a pastor at the church's Lahaina branch.

The church, referred to by members as the mother church, has seven branch churches. It launched its first branch church in Kaimuki on Oct. 26, 1930. Other branch churches are in Lahaina, Kaunakakai, Hilo and Koloa, as well as two more in the Philippines.

• What we're excited about: Members are excited about the church's 78th-anniversary service at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Han expects about 2,000 people to attend, including members from its branch churches from the Neighbor Islands.

• What's special about us: The church structure consists of a temple of worship and a two-story complex that includes the parsonage, offices, 16 Sunday-school classrooms, and music auditoriums. It has several unique features, notably its "Jesus Coming Soon" sign on the rooftop, which Han calls "a landmark in Kalihi." The large, white and blue sign was erected in the mid- to late-1920's, and the branch churches also have similar signs.

Another feature of the church is its "Prayer Tower," built in 1975. The roof of the mushroom-shaped structure is 65 feet from the ground, with a 12-foot cross on its rooftop. The tower is open for prayer service 2 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. An average of 25 members pray at the tower (it can accommodate up to 76 people) Mondays through Thursdays; dozens more go on Fridays and Saturdays.

The church also stands out because it performs baptisms in the name of Jesus alone, Han said, which is based on Acts 2:38. The scripture, according to the King James Version of the Bible, states: "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Han said other churches, in contrast, may perform baptisms in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

The Apostolic Faith Church is also known for its "Kingdom of God Crusade" telecast, 8-9 a.m. Sundays on KITV 4 ABC. For the past 21 years, the church has been using the facilities at KITV to air its program, which is also seen in parts of California, Oregon, Arizona, Washington and American Samoa.

Han said that goals for the church include increasing its congregation to 3,000 within the next two to three years; renovating, extending and enhancing the temple and its surrounding area; and expanding its telecast, both nationally and internationally.

• Contact: Call 847-5902, e-mail jesuscomingsoon@jesuscomingsoon.org, or visit jesuscomingsoon.org

If you would like to recommend a church, temple or faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 535-8174 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.