Our History
Following legal guidelines, the founding group met and voted on October 12, 1997, "to organize into a Biblically based community of believers called the Waiakea Uka Bible Church of the Southern Baptist Convention." On October 27, 1997, a constitution and then a set of bylaws patterned after several Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention churches were adopted. At that meeting, Ian H. Sakai was called as an unpaid volunteer pastor.
The first official worship service was held on Sunday, November 9, 1997, using the Waiakea Intermediate School dining hall. The State of Hawaii formally incorporated the church in December 1997. The church continued using the Waiakea Intermediate School facilities until June 2000.
The church was received into fellowship by the Big Island Baptist Association in October 1998 and by the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention in November 1998. Since its inception, the church has contributed at least 2% of its tithes and offerings to the Big Island Baptist Association and 10% to the Cooperative Program through the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention.
From June 2000 to December 2022, the church has rented the Waiakea Settlement YMCA facilities for worship services and Sunday School. The church also rents several rooms for midweek Bible studies.
In December 2022, after 22 years of being a portable church, WUBC was blessed with its first permanent property and facilities at 400 Lama St. in Pana’ewa. Due to the generosity of the members of the church, the property was fully paid off within the first year and a half since the church moved on property. WUBC is currently developing a master plan for future ministry improvements to the vision and mission of the church.
WUBC has been under the leadership of three ministers, Founding Pastor - Pastor Ian Sakai (1997 - 2015), Pastor Shane Okimoto (2015-2022), and Kahu Zeke Tomaselli (2025-Present). All ministers were raised in Hilo, graduates of Southern Baptist Seminaries, and have the desire to see the church live according to the biblical mandate of making disciples that know, love, and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
