In the beginning. When I started my ministry in IEMELIF way back 1986, I was first a member of “Kabataan” in Bayanan IEMELIF Church. Formerly, I and my family were avid Catholic members who often worshipped at Quiapo and Baclaran churches and completely had no idea about IEMELIF until we moved-in to Muntinlupa in 1970. Life was difficult then because I and my sister Notyluz had to sell balot eggs and siopao to sustain our daily needs. At brother Navarro’s residence along Bayanan’s busy road, we would often put our stall there every night from 6:00 in the evening to 12:00 midnight. This was my routine for several years. I have to help my father who had just retired from government service and my mother, whose sickness had caused her to stay home. As the eldest among three siblings, I have to earn but must at the same time go to school as a high school student at Muntinlupa National High School.
The call. One Sunday morning, I was about to go to San Pedro, Laguna, to buy balot eggs when I noticed a group of young people in the Church who were dressed with red gown. They were singing beautifully in front of a congregation. Such a lovely voices that attracted me to stay for a while. I sat down outside the main door to observe for more. I noticed that the church was packed with attendees and I could undoubtedly feel the reverence they'd shown as they sat on pews. A pastor stood up and prayed sincerely. I can see it in his face as he commune to "someone" whom as if he knows for a long time. Beside the altar was an organist softly playing a meditative musical-piece. Then I heard of sobbing as others were raising their arms. Voices slowly filled the air as they pray. “I must leave”, I said to myself silently. It was a wonderful moment of experience. This was the first time that I personally witnessed a choir singing on the pulpit and heard of prayer that was so different from mine. There was unity of reverence. Orderliness in worship was noticeable. It was something new to me; thus, for the first time, my mind was full of owe and wonder about spiritual things. This experience came to me during the lowest part of my life where I was hopeless that I could no longer pursue my education in college.
The mighty hands of God. Not long after, a massive evangelistic campaign was launched by this Church, Bayanan IEMELIF, through the help of Norwegian Missionary Alliance. A pastor with his team came to our humble house and shared the Good News. I could still recall how they tried hard to explain the Bible to my parents. I was in the kitchen. I was so shy to deserve their attention. I don’t have yet the courage, a minimum required self-confidence, to meet them despite the repeated call of my mother to come out and listen to what they say. Few months after my mother became a member of this Church and so were my sister and youngest brother. I was the last. In 1980, I and a friend were baptized during that one Sunday morning-worship. It didn't take long, I became a Bible study leader and a Sunday school teacher. Soon, I was singing in the choir too and later exposed to several activities and local camps. Looking back, it became clear to me that this was the hands of God. He works in many mysterious ways. An amazing grace was slowly unfolding and created in my family the desire to serve Him; although, I still have to sell balot eggs in the evening and life was still hard for me.
Face to face. One day our pastor, Rev. Nestor Pineda, came to our house. At first he was telling me how he was impressed by my dedication especially as a member of the choir, then he slowly equated that ministry of singing to preaching the Gospel. Few days after, I was with him to visit the IEMELIF Bible College at Novaliches in 1986. It was just to visit; unknowingly, he has already the plan to leave me behind. He disappeared without saying goodbye. Unprepared, yet I have to stay hoping he would return in the afternoon but he wouldn’t. Meanwhile, I have to attend the chapel service and there they welcome me as student without them having an idea of what’s going on. Speechless, I have to smile awkwardly to more or less ninety students and pretended as if I’m not surprised. I found out later that I had to undergo a missionary training for six months and then be sent to a place unknown. I also found out that I was a week late already for the program but was accepted anyway. And so, I was trained about theology, church history, apologetics, hermeneutics, and homiletics of course with fasting and prayer. On-the-job training was carried out along the outskirts of Novaliches in order for us to have pre-taste of what it would be like later when we officially receive our respective assignments. I never questioned the system; probably, because I have a high regard to God and to the leadership of the Church. Meanwhile, my family had to continue earning their living without me. My sister and youngest brother were to shoulder the responsibility day and night by earning along the stretch of Bayanan highway in Muntinlupa. Later, my sister stopped pursuing her college degree at Philippine Christian University and decided to go abroad. What a sacrifice she made on her part just to let me continue serving the Lord in IEMELIF.
The sending out. On that same year, I was sent to Guyong IEMELIF Church together with Lemuel Policarpio, Merlyn Maningas, Noel Mendoza, and Dorcas Papa as missionaries to Bulacan. We stayed to that parsonage under the supervision of Reverends Gorgonio Mariano and Benito Eisma. The following day, we started saturating some parts of Sta. Maria, and in the succeeding months we moved to Patag, Norzagaray, and Minuyan Garay, Bulacan. We were hoping to establish contacts and begin a small group of believers. Everyday we set out we coordinate to respective baranggay captains of each town and would ask permission from them to use their plazas for film showing and evangelism. This was in addition to house-to-house campaign. We had so much experience of acceptance and rejection by the people which I didn’t regret experiencing for many times. In 1987, I was re-assigned to Bulacan as KNS to Patag IEMELIF, a daughter church of Guyong. While in there, I received news from Bayanan IEMELIF that Pastor Angel Guinto intends to enroll at Union Theological Seminary in Cavite for a Bachelor of Ministry program. Together we set our “sail” and took the course. During this time, the IBC course continued to be a missionary training. It was a combination of short-stay seminary modular lessons and long exposure to various places as missionaries. The Lord had been giving me all the educational preparation because I made myself available with all honesty and purity of intention not to mention the sacrifice I made by leaving my dear parents and siblings behind.
The test. On February 28, 1988, Rev. Espino, replaced Rev. Benito Eisma as the senior pastor of Guyong IEMELIF and I had to vacate the parsonage and stayed to Rev. Mariano’s residence for a year. Rev. Espino, as my senior pastor, was a senior student at FEBIAS who convinced me to study there too. So I also enrolled for Basic Bible Course with a plan to pursue the Bachelor of Church Music program which I wasn’t able to finish because of the schism in the church that culminated to the breaking away of Reform Movement in 1991. It was such a devastating experience for me. The leaders of the Church that I knew through Bayanan IEMELIF could no longer settle out their differences. I thought everything is well but ninety nine percent of my friends sided to IRM. I still believe that it was not their intention to breakaway at first but to insist for some reform. Well, I don’t’ want to deal on that. Time has its own way to judge us. Anyway, history belongs to theology. It’s just my personal belief. It belongs to the past and let the present learn its lesson. The after-effect was so difficult on my part. It was so lonely in Bulacan. Together with some remnants, I fought and gave my best to go to devastated churches of Bulac, Sapang Palay, Minuyan San Jose, Minuyan Garay, Garay, Balasing, and Tigbe. I was hoping to convince them to stay with the mother church. It was not easy but we succeeded somehow. This was an untold experience to which I don’t regret keeping to myself even if some historians of this Church were not able to include me in their annals, the official records of IEMELIF’s historical accounts. I have my own ways to tell it anyway. So what’s next? Should I stop? Should I feel important? Should I pity myself? Should I say bad words and question their records? The leaders were seemed unappreciative of my contribution. At first, yes I did and I did it strongly and bitterly. Later, I realized that I, too, was adding insult to injury by becoming so self-centered. I wanted the accolade of men and not of God. I am no longer part of the solution and so I became critical for a while. The “virus” of sin seemed to have affected me and it’s strongly crawling to my faith.
Focus and determination. Amidst this turmoil, The Lord allowed me to finish my Bachelor of Ministry program along with Basic Bible Course with music units in FEBIAS. It was a double degree already. Focus and determination, although were hard to do during this time, yet through His grace I succeeded. Then I pressed for more by completing my Master of Arts in Religious Education to which the Commission on Higher Education allowed me to teach values subjects under the general education being offered by university in Muntinlupa. A rare opportunity which I considered a miracle for obtaining the nod of CHED-NCR under the appoval of Dr. Amelia Biglete of my qualification. Suddenly, all the suppressed bitterness came out. This may have probably been the result of the long years of painstakingly surviving without receiving any commendation from the Church. As if a shooting star flashed over my head. I said, “Now, I can leave this Church and work somewhere else.” I had so much of wasted years in IEMELIF.” For me to go back is futility. It is vanity like Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes. So, I decided to take part-time church assignments but full-time in teaching. Unmindful of what's going on in the Church for ten straight years I moved to UP Los Banos and PCU for more masters studies. I was backsliding spiritually as I slowly blame my leaders for letting me feel this way. They are a bunch of dogmatists and religious parasites. They should have been my mentors; unfortunately, they don't meet my expectation. I should have not trusted them my valuable time, energy, and talent. All my fingers were pointing at them with bitterness as I boast to my accomplishments in return. I thought I was very sincere for the Lord for doing this but I was sincerely wrong.
Confronting the past. Thanks to the Lord, I was wrong. Actually, it was the IEMELIF and still is the one giving me all the things that I enjoy today. This Church has been God’s laboratory of faith to me and I suppose to all of us. Had I chosen to drive my life to the course I wanted it to go, I would have not experienced the joy and peace in this life. I could have been into more troubles. What I am today would have not been developed had I ignored the call of God to serve Him. Then I realized that if there’s something to which I am indignant about, it is because I have chosen to let the virus of schisms to ruin me. I forgot that we are what we say and we are what we choose to do. It takes a very objective perspective of the situation to know that I am not part of the solution anymore. At last I said, “It is enough satan! You cannot anymore hurt this Church through me.”
Starting again. The IEMELIF Church is my “home” and God is always in this Church to train willing souls to seek the lost even the critical and biased-minded individuals. He has never left this Church, no, not even once. The IEMELIF must be helped in many ways. God must increase and I must decrease. I should return the favor to Him. If it's not for this Church I wouldn't be able to know my capabilities. God has a bank of blessings for us here because there are plenty of things to do. So I said, “Why not find something to do and stop blaming people.” The book of Romans 15:2 says, "Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good {and} for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually]."
Response 1. I had stopped criticizing my leaders. The Church appears to have so much of them already. What I hope to see today are people who are more concerned about winning souls. Satan and his army had been so successful already of tearing us apart and we allowed him to do that for decades. I want to be part of the solution and should remain doing this for the Lord. Of course these leaders have shortcoming too but who doesn't have one? Leaders are only effective when people cooperate. The Bible said in Romans 14:13 “Then let us no more criticize on one another, but rather decide {and} endeavor never to put a stumbling block in the way of a brother.
Response 2. I believe the Lord has called me to write articles so I can be a blessing. I know this is my niche. I know you had been blessed with talents to preach, teach, lead, evangelize, manage, encourage, expound the Scriptures, or by simply being friendly and humble. See how we can help the Church accomplish many things for God? Start thinking of good things from above. Start honing your God given talent. Let us join hands and start making sense.Our Church is blessed with so many things. All we need to do is to be humble and serve like our Master in Heaven. Our leaders are God's representatives and it is not for me nor for you to judge them because we're not allowed to do this. I have a gag order from God. I should be on the side only of those who seek for unity and not the other way around. To hurt the Church of Christ is to hurt the Lord who is the Head. I am joining hands with God's leaders but not as a blind follower. I, too, am ready to rebuke any wrongdoing in a constructive and positive way because they are my brothers and not enemies. The dignity of the Church is our responsibility to maintain. It brings glory to God if we do. It tells people that I am a practitioners of Christian religion. I strongly believe that if I do this God will bless me in many ways. It takes courage to be humble. Humbleness is a virtue of the strong and not of the weak. Such a person has a clear conscience, that is, he earns peace, harmony, and joy which money can't buy. The Bible says in Acts 24:16 “Therefore I always discipline myself to have a clear conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men.” Amen.
