On a September Sabbath just before the Hawaii Conference constituency meeting, the 52 new members of the Iglesia Adventista Hispana de Oahu were reminded of the auspicious occasion thousands of years ago at the dedication of Solomon’s temple. As they gathered that afternoon to formally become an organized church in the Hawaii Conference, they understood why King Solomon raised his arms to heaven and exclaimed, “There is no God like you.”

The Hispanic work in Oahu began in 1993. “Everything started in the home of Dr. Yamashiro and his wife, members of the Kailua church," reports Manuel Vásquez in his book, The Untold Story, 100 years of Hispanic Adventism. "The Yamashiros used their gift of hospitality to invite to their home young Marines, both Adventists and not Adventists, each Friday night. In one of those occasions, a young Hispanic marine, Jaime Guajardo, was invited. He was so impressed with the Yamashiros and their faith that he accepted Christ and was baptized. After he had been dropped from the military, he returned to Kailua with the longing to share the Gospel to the Hispanics of the island.”

Guajardo did not hesitate to share the message that had changed his life. Soon his wife, Rosi, and his brother- and sister-in-law were baptized by Pastor Ernie Castillo, then executive secretary of the Pacific Union, in June of 1993. After gathering weekly to study Scriptures in Spanish, they realized they should invite others to join their group.

In 1994, Pastor Rob Lloyd invited them to meet Sabbath afternoons at the Kailua church. The group started growing when they held several evangelistic campaigns organized by Pastor Jorge Soria, director of Hispanic Ministries for the Pacific Union.

In 1999, the Hawaii Conference called Roger Beltrán to be the pastor of the Kaneohe church and to support the growing Hispanic group. In addition, a ministerial student, Felix Amparo, came for about a year and a half to help support the group that was meeting at the Kaneohe church. Under the leadership of Arnold Trujillo, then conference president, the Hispanic congregation became officially organized as a company in 2003. The group also moved to the chapel of Hawaiian Mission Academy, where they continue to meet every Sabbath. Although church members have come and gone over the past 13 years, more than 21 people have been baptized during the last three years under the pastoral guidance of Eliezer Graterol, their present pastor.

President Ralph Watts II reminded the new church that it is to help their brothers and sisters in Hawaii to work toward the vision of the conference for "A Finished Work NOW." “We can do this if every one will reach one for Jesus Christ,” he said.

“As God said to Joshua, ‘There are still very large areas of land to be taken over.’ Our call is to continue ahead knowing we are to share a beautiful and powerful message so that we can have the same experience that Solomon and the Israelites had at the temple dedication when they saw the glory of the Lord fill the temple," said Graterol. "This special milestone day is not about us, but about Him.”