Meet the Elder Board
Joe Ong
Pastor & Elder
Joe has been the Pastor and Elder for Leeward Community Church since 2011. He and his wife, Debbie, arrived in Hawaii with their three children from Singapore, where Joe was born and raised. He is passionate about Jesus and seeing how lives can be changed and growing in love for the Lord and others. His family resides in Kapolei.
Mel Tanoue
Elder
Mel is an elder and is retired from Kaiser Permanente. He currently does volunteer work for Leeward Community Church and has been volunteering since 2013. He lives in Pearl City and has two sons.
Neal Arita
Elder & Secretary
Neal is an Elder and serves as the Secretary for Leeward Community Church. He is married to Vera and has two sons and fawns over his grandkids.
Fred Heyler
Elder
Fred and his wife Debbie have two children in college and one at home. They live in Aiea and both work in education. In addition to the church and their children, they love the outdoors.
Paul Nakasone
Elder
Paul and his wife Paula have three children and live in Mililani. They both love teaching the youth and have lead home groups.
Maribelle Kam
Office Manager
Provides all administrative support for the office staff, except for metrics updates. Primary contact for all questions and correspondence.
Joni Kaneshiro
Newcomer's Ministry Director
Oversees the newcomer's ministries, such as greeters, ushers, and welcome center. Provides communications and graphics support.
Jon Ayin
Community Services
Oversees the Community Service programs for LCC, also acting as liaison with outside community groups. Provides IT support for the church.
Abi Arakawa
Youth Director
Oversees the leaders and teams who teach and conduct activities for students in middle & high school, including Sunday School youth nights and events.
Kathy Uyehara
Missions Director
Directs and plans mission trips domestically and abroad. Chairs the missions committee and directs various mission fundraisers.
Denise Kahue
Metrics Admin
Maintains all donations and key metrics, such as registrations, attendance, and directories. Primary user of church management systems.
Debbie Ong
Special Projects Admin
Part-time support for special projects as directed by the Lead Pastor, such as events and teaching materials. Also co-leads the Children's Ministry.
Joe Ferguson
IT Administrator
Part-time management and support for Leeward's IT infrastructure and other IT projects.
Various Interns - Oversees the Community Service programs for LCC, also acting as liaison with outside community groups. Provides IT support for the church.