Staff

Meet Our Staff

Brian Akahoshi

Bio-vocational Associate Pastor – Education

Brian Akahoshi was born (1964) and raised in Honolulu. He is married to Vonchanh who he met while serving in the Laotian Ministry. He was once a homeless man in the streets of Waikiki. On April 1, 2007 he walked into Waikiki Baptist Church and received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Since then, he has served at Waikiki Baptist Church. He served for several years as the Youth Pastor for both Waikiki Baptist Church and the Korean Speaking Church In Waikiki. He has served as President of Board of Trustees of Waikiki Baptist Church until becoming part of the staff in 2015 as the Part Time Education Minister. His passion and calling in ministry are to start and grow Ohana Groups (small group discipleship life groups).

INTERNS

Milena Cobena

Youth Intern

Milena Cobena was born and raised in Ecuador. She moved to the USA after High School to continue her studies. After graduating from Lindenwood University with a major in International Business, she moved to LA where she lived for about a year before she was led by God to the shores of Hawaii.

Driven by the desire to serve God, Milena arrived on the Island with no job, family, or even a place to live on Oahu. Yet, God blessed her and provided for her in wonderful ways. Currently serving as a Youth Leader at Waikiki Baptism Church, Milena is a member you can always count on finding in the different activities and Ohana groups held by the Church. She is truly thankful for this new chapter in her life on this beautiful island and as part of this loving church community.

Joel Lazo

Pastoral Intern

Joel attended Hawaii Baptist Academy and graduated college from California Baptist University. He spent his time working for the Hyatt Regency Long Beach and eventually as an educator at Kirkwood Christian Schools in Downey,  California. Joel is married to the love of his life, Javic, and between the both of them have five children. Recently,  Joel was ordained as a pastor and feels a strong conviction from the Lord to plant a church. He is grateful to God for the privilege to be on staff at Waikiki Baptist. 

Austin Hamilton

Pastoral Apprentice

Austin was born in 1998 and raised in Grass Valley California. He is now living in Ewa Beach.

A graduate of The Master’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. He is very passionate about studying God’s word and feels a great calling to have an ever-growing relationship and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his own words, “I have been placed on this earth to help others to learn of the great majesty and love of our God and Father.” In his free time, when Austin is not studying the Bible, he enjoys reading theological commentaries and studying apologetics. If Austin does not have his nose in a book, you can find him out by the ocean, fishing, bodyboarding, or just enjoying the beauty of Oahu. Austin ministers with our college age students.

 

SUPPORT STAFF

Tracy Harris

Church Secretary

Tracy Harris, a graduate from Ohio Christian University with a bachelors in Business Leadership and a Masters in Business Leadership and Human Resources. She has been a part of several non profit organizations in various roles in her hometown of Chattanooga Tennessee and here on Oahu. Tracy enjoys spending time with her husband and their three kids, reading, and going to the beach. Tracy feels called to devote much of her life to working with the body of Christ and being the hands and feet of Jesus.

Nancy Whitehead

Financial Secretary

Nancy Whitehead joined the WBC staff in August of 2020. After serving as bookkeeper for several churches, Nancy was excited to join the ministry of Waikiki Baptist Church. She serves part time at WBC and part time at the church plant she and her husband are serving at in Kapolei on Oahu. Nancy has been married to David for 37 years and they have three grown children living on the mainland. Nancy says one of the sweetest parts of her life is her amazing granddaughter, Vivian, who lives in Seattle and her upcoming new granddaughter to be born soon in the Denver area. After living on the Big Island for 12 years, Nancy is enjoying time with David discovering Oahu’s beauty.

Cheryl Wilson

Interim Custodian

Cheryl is our interim custodian that keeps your church beautiful. She is a retired NYC Bus Operator and a licensed hair stylist .  She is also the cook for our church Ohana.  Weekly she prepares our Aloha Fellowship between our English speaking services.  Cheryl joined our mission team to Kenya this past year.  She says, “I Love the Lord and my church Ohana!

CHURCH PLANTERS

David Whitehead

Church Planter

David and Nancy both grew up in church planting families. They raised their three kids in Hawaii, who are now young adults. After pastoring 3 mainland churches, they planted Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Kona and then worked as Director of Missions on the Big Island. Having left Hawaii for 4.5 years to help 52 church planters get started in the Los Angeles area, they now sense God leading them back to plant a new church in Kapolei, on Oahu.

Sung Ho, Kang

Korean Church Re-start

Sung Ho Kang is, currently, the senior pastor of Waikiki Korean Church. He is a retired US Army Reserved Chaplain (LTC).  He served Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention as the State Director of Church PLanting Ministries in 2007-2019. He served Houston Graduate School of Theology as a full-time faculty of assistant professor, TX, in 2004-2007. He earned Ph.D., Th.M and M.Div from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and BA from Korea Baptist Theological University in 1985.  He and his wife, Monica have an evangelistic passion to reach the lost Korean.

Rene Sahir

Indonesian Fellowship

Rev. René Sahir was born in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia on August 26, 1956. Accepted Jesus and got baptized on August 14, 1975.  He moved from New where he was a church starter.  He started Father’s Love church on Father’s Day 2007. He worked with the International community in Queens, NY. He focused on missions in rural areas, villages and communities where there are no Christians in the Islands of Indonesia.  He is connected to the Indonesian community on Oahu.

Keiko Ishiwata

The Associate Minister of Japanese Speaking Congregation at First Baptist Church Pearl City

Having grown up in Yokohama, Japan, Keiko graduated from International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan with a Bachelor’s degree in religious studies. After teaching at a Christian school in Yokohama for eight years, she came to the United States to prepare herself for Christian ministry. She graduated from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Kansas with a Master of Divinity degree in 1995. She served as a chaplain-in-training in Honolulu and Kansas for a year. In 1996 she went to First Baptist Church Pearl City on staff as an associate Minister of Japanese Speaking Congregation.  In 2018 she expanded their ministry to include a presence in Waikiki.  Keiko loves stand-up paddle boarding and “shoten” (a Japanese TV comedy show).