Our Family History
What is Ohana?
Ohana is Hawaiian for “family”. When we started the church, our vision was to see Christians come together as one family in Christ to make an impact in Hawaii. Now, over 30 years later, this is still our goal: to be a church for the whole family. We work hard to have a place for every member no matter who they are or what their background. We strive to make everyone feel like they belong in our Ohana. Whether you are a fourteen year old girl or a forty year old man, you have a place here in our family every single week.
The church is God’s organism for accomplishing His purpose till the final days when we–as Christians–are called home. Our purpose is to continue to grow the family of God through consistent outreach and evangelism. We never desire to simply be content with the current family we have, but to constantly be adding to the church through the portraying of God’s love to the world. We invite you to come find out what it means to be a part of the Ohana!
Ohana’s History
The History of a church is really “His-story”. It is the story of how God has worked in the lives of people, bringing them together one by one to be “fitly framed together…an Holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:20-22). The future of a church is built on the foundations laid by the testimony and teachings of those who have gone on before.
The vision to start a good Bible believing church in the Honolulu area was first birthed in the heart of Pastor Wayne and Diane Surface while serving at Ko’olau Baptist Church in Kaneohe for five years under the leadership of Pastor Al Anger. It was this burden that would drive Pastor Wayne and Diane to start Ohana Baptist Church on August 3, 1986 with just fifteen people in the very first service.
Over the years, the church has experienced God’s blessing with dynamic growth and has had to move several times to accommodate the growing church body. From peoples’ homes, classrooms, school cafeterias, community centers, and a renovated bowling alley the church has progressively expanded facilities, until recently in 2010, the Lord blessed Ohana with the ability to purchase 3.5 million dollars worth of buildings for just $665,000 in the Mapunapuna area.
Ohana Baptist Church serves as a thriving testimony of what God can do in and through people’s lives. Today, Ohana has grown to an average attendance of 350 – 400 people every Sunday reaching people of various backgrounds from military men and women, “locals”, Haoles, Filipinos, Pacific Islanders, and people from over twenty other nationalities. Over the years the church has added on staff to work with the Filipinos, Pacific Islanders, Teens and Young Marrieds as well as the Singles and Children’s Ministries. Ohana has also helped start up five other churches in the islands.
Many people have come and gone over the years, especially among our Military families of the church. God has brought just the right people, at just the right times. Some God brought to meet a need in the church, and others for the church to meet a need in their lives. Each one has been a special blessing and will always be a part of our Ohana no matter where God leads them next.
In brief, this is some of the history of Ohana Baptist Church. The real “His-story” of the church is written in the hearts and lives of the literal thousands who have come and gone throughout the years. As we look back and count the many blessings of God, let us look forward to the blessings of being used by God to write the future “His-story” of Ohana as we continue to strive to glorify Him. Why not come out and see for yourself the many blessings surrounding Ohana Baptist Church?
Our Staff
Wayne Surface
Senior Pastor
Caleb Surface
Assistant Pastor
Andy dela Cruz
Filipino Ministry
Peter Reyes
Pacific Islander Ministry
Our Beliefs
Salvation
The Bible teaches that salvation is the free gift of God, not of works of man, and that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:15-16 KJV) The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23 KJV). How can I know that heaven is my home?
The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired, infallible Word of God and that it is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. For reasons of unity within the church and textual reliability, we choose to use the King James Version of the Bible. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21
Sovereignty of God
We believe God is a Person, eternally existing, as a Trinity in unity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons and yet one God. Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 26:19; I Corinthians 8:6
Son of God
Jesus Christ, eternally existing, is the only begotten Son of God, who became a sinless man in order to redeem us. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died and rose again and sits today at the right hand of God making intercession for us. John 1:1-15; Romans 8:31-34; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:11
Service
The local church is a group of believers baptized by immersion, united together for edification, exhortation and evangelism as commanded by Christ in the Scriptures. The purpose of the church is to glorify God, prepare the saints for the work of the ministry and to preach the Gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20, Ephesians 1:6-14, 1:21-22, 4:11-16; I Timothy 3:15
Second Coming
Jesus Christ Himself will soon come again in the air to catch up His Church and to judge and reward their service. The unbelievers that are left behind will go through a period called the Great Tribulation, after which Christ will return to the earth to set up His kingdom of one thousand years of righteous rule. At the end of the Millennium, the unbelievers of all the ages will stand before the Great White Throne judgment and then be cast into the Lake of Fire, separated from God for eternity, while the believers will enter into an eternity of joy in Heaven with the Lord. Matthew 29:29-42; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; Revelation 19:11-20:13
We are Baptist
We are an Independent, Bible-believing, Baptist Church committed to carrying out the Great Commission in the Pearl Harbor / Hickam area, in the city of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, in the state of Hawaii, the United States, and all over the world.
Independent: We are a local, self-governing, body of believers; not part of any national convention or organization. Our church is a Democratic Theocracy; led by the Holy Spirit through the decisions of the members under the leadership of the Pastor.
Biblicist: We believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God and our only rule for faith and practice. Everything that we do, preach, or teach must have a Biblical basis and be true to the principles of the Word of God.
Missionary: We are committed to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) in Honolulu, Hawaii, the United States, and all over the world through our local services, outreach programs in Hawaii, and the support of worldwide missions.
Baptist: We are Biblicists first, but identify ourselves as Baptist because historically and traditionally the word Baptist best defines our heritage and beliefs. We are proud of the history and testimony of those, who from the time of Christ have stood for and even died for their beliefs and convictions.