A Very Short History

THE FIRST LUTHERAN CONGREGATION ON JULY 9TH, 1882, THE FIRST LUTHERAN PASTOR ARRIVED FROM GERMANY TO START A CHURCH IN LIHUE ON THE ISLAND OF KAUAI. HIS NAME WAS FREIDERICH RICHTER AND HE BROUGHT WITH HIM A PRE-FABRICATED CHURCH BUILDING FROM GERMANY. HIS PRIMARY JOB WAS TAKING CARE OF THE MANY GERMAN LUTHERANS WORKING IN THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. LIHUE LUTHERAN (A MEMBER OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA – ELCA) IS STILL STANDING, ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL BUILDING HAS BEEN REBUILT SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO HURRICANES.

THE FIRST LCMS CONGREGATION OUR REDEEMER, LOCATED ON UNIVERSITY AVENUE ACROSS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, WAS BIRTHED IN 1945.

OTHER NOTABLE LUTHERAN INFLUENCE THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN BAND WAS STARTED IN 1836 BY KING KAMEHAMEHA III (THE OLDEST MUNICIPAL BAND IN THE UNITED STATES.) IN 1872, KING KALAKAUA APPOINTED HEINRICH (HENRY) BERGER AS THE BANDMASTER. HIS MUSICAL ARRANGEMENT OF “HYMN OF KAMEHAMEHA I” EVENTUALLY BECAME THE STATE ANTHEM, “HAWAI’I PONO’I” WITH LYRICS BY KING KALAKAUA. QUEEN LILI’UOKALANI NAMED HIM THE “FATHER OF HAWAIIAN MUSIC.” HE WORKED WITH KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP ITS MUSIC PROGRAM AND STARTED A GROUP THAT EVENTUALLY BECAME THE HONOLULU SYMPHONY. HE WAS THE FIRST MUSIC DIRECTOR AT “GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH” WHICH LATER BECAME KNOWN AS LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HONOLULU.