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How We Came To Be

Our Church was founded by Loyd K. Watanabe and his wife Yachiyo, with the core support of Peter and Lois Lam (owners of Rhema Book Store), Bobby Gonzales (member of the Crush), Teresa Tsuruta, and Richard and Miyoko Constant (care group leaders).

Loyd was groomed to be a missionary (mostly by the Holy Spirit) and was sent out on his first assignment by Grace Bible Church to University of Hawaii to start a Christian group; he also went witnessing in Waikiki and everywhere else he went as he simply could not keep Jesus Christ hidden inside of him, always having a pocketful of tracts.

Later, because his parents were Japanese, he got a strong burden to reach out to this very hard-headed people group. He flew to Tokyo and began intense language studies.  Later, because too many Tokyoites spoke English, he journeyed way up to the frozen North (this is  local Hawaiian boy) to fully immerse himself in the Japanese culture.  He began a Bible study, leading worship on his own guitar, and soon it grew and developed into a full blown church.  Oddly, Richard Constant, who was operating a language school in Tokyo at the time, joined a group from Loyd's brother-in-law's church in Shinjuku (Shalom Church) to do a Christmas outreach, not knowing that later on he would meet the man of God who founded this vibrant Sapporo church, and help him start another in Hawaii.

Loyd met Yachiyo at his relative's Shinjuku church in Tokyo and then went on to serve as a pastor, first in Guam, then at Kawaii before returning to his home.......Grace Bible Church to await his next assignment.

Because his wife was a Japanese national, he attended a unique Bible study that welcomed internationals led by Richard and Miyoko Constant.  Even though he was a pastor, he submitted to the teaching and leadership of the group leaders and was invited to lead praise and worship.  Finally, almost simultaneously, he volunteered to teach a very specific 'water baptism' class for some members before they got dipped in the ocean; and, also, he received directions from the Holy Spirit to start a church at his office building on Piikoi Street and was given permission to use the building's penthouse on the roof. The members of the care group were so impressed with his anointed Water Baptism teaching, that almost everybody attended the first service.

The rest is history!  We have gone from owning our own 3rd floor at an office building on Beretania and McCully, to renting a building at McKinnley High School, to owning our own 'storefront' property at 938 Waiakamilo Road in Kalihi.  All this began in July of 1990 and it has been a wild ride.

Pastor is a multitalented personality excelling in business, music, Bible teaching, counseling and people touching.............everbody loved Pastor Loyd!  I say 'loved' because he went home to be with the Lord on January 5, 2012;  his beloved wife, Yachiyo, went to be with him on July 28, 2019.

Pastor Loyd always believed in teaching and training for the mission of planting new churches.  Besides the church in Hokkaido, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Center has planted powerful work's in New Zealand, Germany, India, and the Philippines.  He trained dozens of faithful workers over the years to teach, preach and perform various ministries............now we have two pastors, each with their own talents and uniqueness, Senior Pastor Rodney Iaea, and Pastor Cynthia Louie.  All of our Sunday Services are put up on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and also on this website:  fhlcc808.org.

Pastor Loyd went home to be with the Lord in January 2012.

The vision that God planted in Pastor Loyd's heart was that...

This church would be a place where God’s people could come and worship in spirit and in truth. 

This church would be a place where the word of God would be preached without compromise. 

This church would be a house of prayer where God’s people could cry out in unity to the Lord.

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