Kaimuki Christian Church

Raised in a Christian family on a Nebraska farm, I made a decision to receive Christ at a Christian camp at the age of nine. During my senior year in high school, I began to drift from the Lord and plummeted into an ungodly lifestyle in college. It was there that I met the love of my life, Deanna Pavlik, and we married in 1970.

Lacking direction, I dropped out of college to work construction and, later, went into sales. Dee was seeking God and became a Christian during that period. When a missionary couple came to town to plant a church, I was captivated by the concept of God’s grace and recommitted my life to Christ.

In the early years of our marriage, Dee miscarried five times and we wondered if we’d ever have a child. When our mentors moved to Salt Lake City, they invited me to come serve as Associate Pastor at Southeast Christian. We moved there in ’74 and, within two months, God gifted us with Lance, an 8 month old child who came to our family on November 25, 1974. One year later, on November 25, 1975, our second son Rocky was born!

We served in Utah five years before answering a call to minister in Hawaii with Kaimuki Christian Church. Four years later, KCC sent us to plant a church in east Honolulu. God blessed the church and, during those years, I received a Bachelor of Pastoral Ministries degree and an M. Div. from International College & Graduate School (now Hawaii Theological Seminary). In 1989, we moved to pastor Shasta Way Christian in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Then in 1993, we accepted a call to return to Kaimuki Christian Church, where we’ve served to this day. Since our return, God has provided a vision to reach our community and impact the world from this block. We’ve built a new worship center, added intermediate classes to our school, purchased 6 adjacent lots and renovated some of the properties for ministry.

God has blessed us beyond measure. He’s blessed our family with wonderful wives for our sons (Ilene & Anadara) and two incredible grandchildren: Colt (’02) and Callie (’04). KCC is the most wonderful church imaginable. Hobbies? I love to play golf, watch football (especially Nebraska football!), reading and history. But my passion is for the glory of God and to spread the name of Jesus to all nations

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Cal Takara, Associate Pastor

The sugar cane fields of Pearl City were my stomping grounds until middle school. I was transformed into a “townie” as I spent my high school years at Mid-Pacific Institute (home of the mighty fighting Owls!). Occidental College in Los Angeles was my launching pad into the college years and I landed a degree in English Literature at UH-Manoa. A friend introduced me to church at age 29. Church? Who needs church? God used many kind and caring Christians to overcome my skepticism and cynicism about Jesus and I finally succumbed to His grace at age 30. Life has been an adventure ever since Jesus got a hold of my life. I found Lydia, my life’s partner, at Kaimuki Christian Church and we were wed in 1984. We’re blessed with two terrific daughters, Allyson and Christyn.

After meandering through ten years in the visitor industry and ten years in insurance property-casualty claims, Lydia and I committed ourselves to God’s call to full time ministry in 1990. Kaimuki Christian Church is where we found Christ, got married, raised our daughters, and were called into service. Life doesn’t get any better than that.

2 Timothy 2:1,2 have been the verses that have impacted me as a new Christian and continue to provide my passion for teaching, discipleship, and men’s ministry.

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Mark Gallagher, Associate Pastor/KCS Principal

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. I moved from California to Kaimuki in 1961 with my family when my dad accepted a call to pastor Kaimuki Christian Church, a ministry he filled for thirty-two years. Following my declaration of faith in Jesus Christ, I was baptized at KCC shortly after our arrival.

After graduating from Kalani, college, and seminary, I served as an Associate Pastor in the Bay Area before returning to Hawai'i to pursue a Ph.D. in history at the UH. During this time I was on staff as part-time Dir. of Christian Education then as the church's first administrator. I accepted a faculty position at Pacific Theological College, in Fiji where I lived for eight years, joined by Lora after our marriage in 1988. I rejoined the KCC ministry team as church and school administrator in 1996, then transitioned to serving as KCS principal in 1999. Lora and I have a daughter, McKenzie, who is currently a 6th grader at KCS. For relaxation, I enjoy bodysurfing, tennis, and working in the yard.

An inspirational verse for me is Acts 13:22, "I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do."

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Jerry Hubbard, Associate Pastor/Administrator

My father was an Army officer, so I grew up living all over the world. I graduated from high school in Bangkok, Thailand, did my undergraduate studies (in Speech Communication) at the University of Arizona, and received an M.A. (in Religion) from International College & Graduate School, here in Honolulu. Here’s a snapshot of my work history:

1976-1986: Tennis (teaching) Professional (primarily at Punahou School)
1987-1995: Assistant Pastor at Kaimuki Christian Church
1996-2002: Pastor, Hawaii Kai Christian Church
2003-2008: Middle School Teacher & Chaplain, Kaimuki Christian School
(and a part-time tennis professional & coach for Punahou School)

Today, I serve as an Associate Pastor, specifically in the area of Administration for both Kaimuki Christian Church & School. My responsibilities include oversight of Property, Finances, Human Resources, Technology and Support Staff. In addition, I also serve in a variety of pastoral areas, including counseling, preaching and teaching.

My wife Dawn & I dedicated our lives to Christ in our early twenties, and became been part of the KCC family shortly thereafter. Dawn is a local girl (and a ’73 Kalani grad) who serves as the secretary in our Kaimuki Christian School office, as well as the Wedding Facilitator for KCC. We met here at KCC, were married in 1979, and have two children, Jason (& wife Winnie) and Rachael. We have a deep love for Kaimuki Christian Church & School, and a lifetime commitment to make a positive impact for Jesus.

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Kainoa Valente , Youth Minister

I am fond of telling my students that if someone had told me when I graduated high school that 10 years later I would be a youth minister, I would have punched them in the face. Church, much less ministry, was not even on my radar, and my post-high school lifestyle was less than exemplary and certainly not Christian. Yet God in His infinite mercy allowed me to follow the consequences of that lifestyle to their ends so that I would look up and see that He loved me and had a crazier life for me than even the party scene could afford—a life in ministry.

Fast forward a few years to 2008 and I found myself graduating from The King's Seminary in Van Nuys, CA with a Master's Degree in Practical Theology and off to my first vocational ministry post as a Youth Intern at Kaimuki Christian Church, where I am currently a Youth Minister. I LOVE it. There's really no other way to say it. Every day my students and I have the opportunity to change the world, to usher in God's Kingdom of love and peace to a planet that knows mostly hatred and war. There's more to life than spending 70 or so years trying to numb yourself to the pain before you kick the bucket. There's an abundant life in the Spirit through Jesus, and I want to show this generation what it's all about.

When I'm not being a revolutionary for Jesus (which really is never), I love spending time with my wife Serah and my son Enzo. I enjoy cars (driving and working on them), food (cooking, baking, and eating, of course), music (playing and listening to), and reading. So if you're out driving and a black Nissan zooms past you with music blasting and smelling like BBQ, flash your high beams and say hello!

Favorite Scripture Passage:

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23 ESV

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