Istuku Sue Nishikawa

Istuko "Sue" Nishikawa pioneered Southern Baptist faith and values in the territory and State of Hawaii in the latter half of the 20th century. Nishikawa grew up in the small agricultural town of Wahiawa with her 8 siblings. After graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Nishikawa went on to organize the Women's Missionary Union in Hawaii. Her other accomplishments include editing the state paper. She officially retired in 1980, although her involvement in Hawaii Baptist Activities continued. In that time, she became an icon of missions and ministry in Hawaii. In 1981, the state's annual missions offering was named after her. Each year, the "Sue Nishikawa Offering" raises funds to support Pacific ministry. Every September, Southern Baptist Churches across Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and Okinawa voluntarily collect donations. The funds support activities across the Asia-Pacific region. Nishikawa died in October 2004.