• Our denomination: Assembly of God.

• Where we are: Niu Valley Shopping Center, in the former Times Super Market.

• Our numbers: About 200 people come to weekly services, which include an 11 a.m. Sunday service and a Tuesday evening service.

• Our pastor: The Rev. Dr. James Marocco, senior pastor; the Rev. Anne Fujii, senior associate pastor.

• What's special about us: Marocco travels from Maui to O'ahu every Sunday morning, preaching at the 9 a.m. service on Maui, hopping a leased plane and making it here in time to preach at 11 a.m. at King's Cathedral O'ahu.

"I work quite a bit," he admitted. "There are other pastors preaching their brains out on Sunday mornings, but I guess I'm unique in flying to two different islands."

• What we believe: Assembly of God is an evangelical Christian denomination. King's Cathedral O'ahu is an evangelical Christian church.

"We believe the Bible from cover to cover," said Fujii. "And we believe the Bible is the word of God."

• Our history: Marocco, an Assembly of God minister, moved to Maui from O'ahu in 1980. He took over First Assembly of God on Maui. As the church grew to become one of the largest in the state in its first year, it took over a skating rink as its new home.

In 1983, it established an extension on Moloka'i, then Lana'i. About five years later, the rink was sold and a 14-acre facility purchased. "Then we outgrew that," Marocco said.

James Marocco

The mammoth new church that was to be King's Cathedral was started in 1994, but didn't take the name until after 2000. The reason for the name change? To alleviate confusion. The state already has a First Assembly of God — on O'ahu.

"We'd publicize events, and people would call O'ahu and say 'When is that event?' " Marocco said.

The new King's Cathedral O'ahu signed its lease about two years ago, but it has been an uphill road, between the eight months trying to get permits and a number of snags, such as the concrete strike and debate by the neighborhood board over concerns whether the church would build a school.

"We have no desire to put a school there," Marocco said. "We have a school on Maui. That might be where the confusion came in."

However, neither he nor another pastor, Steve Franks, ruled out a school — someday. "We're a need-based organization," Marocco said.

Franks said, "We're not planning on making one; at the same time, aren't saying we never will. We haven't said anything at all. We don't want someone forcing us to say, no, we're not. Right now, we're neutral on it."

• What we're excited about: As of last Sunday, church members have been meeting at the new site, in what they call the "Upper Room," which can seat about 250 people. Before that, they met at a hotel in Waikiki on Sundays, and in the Niu Valley area on Tuesday evenings.

"We picked up people in Waikiki and they moved with us," said Fujii.

With a new home, they're able to expand their children's ministries to include a Royal Ranger Mission program, which is similar to scouting, "but is Bible-based," she said. They're also planning to have a children's choir.

The church is also planning a "Pumpkin Patch Party" for Halloween night at the shopping center, with costumed children able to paint cookies, walk down Candy Lane, watch puppet shows and listen to music.

It will be a while until members have a brand-new sanctuary, though it's in the process, Franks said. "We're still waiting for air conditioning," he said, noting that there is also electrical and construction work to be done. He hopes the finished church is ready sometime after the first of the year.

• Contact: 643-7729