The Ministry of Rev. Ernesto Carvajal in Dumangas Baptist Church &...

Chapter 13–The Ministry of Rev. Ernesto Carvajal in Dumangas Baptist Church

That was in April, the dry seasons of 1959. He stood on a small wooden pulpit in a movable

20 x 40 foot, “Church Tabernacle”, a make-shift movable structure covered with roofings made of tent with two-lines of 15- seats in the middle of the harvested rice field.

Nearly 500 people - adults and youth with some children in Brgy. Bacay, a fishing village of Dumangas were present that evening, April 18 when he preached. His voice was strong, resonant vibrant and clear. There was no amplifier. No loud speakers. But his words could be heard clearly nearly half a kilometre away. He told stories of life -deadly sins, of hope, God’s offer of salvation and eternal life.

Rev. Ernesto B. Carvajal preached his sermon that night with strength and power in the wide fields with rice harvested about 2 months ago. He influenced the mood of his audience. He makes them smile. They burst into laughter with his jokes. He asked them to reflect solemnly on the message he shared. .

He led them to deep souls -searching as he shared the story of the love of God who sent His son to die on the cross, between two thieves to redeem men from their sins. He called on them to repent and surrender their lives of Jesus. They responded.

When he extended his invitations, under the choir’s soft singing “ Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Saviour”, asking them to come to Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord Saviour, scores came forward on the makeshift altar. They came and stood on the altar, some with thirst in their eyes. Then, he led them in prayer, asking God to be with them, as they go to start their new life, under His care and guidance.

The wide rice fields that night, under the spill of dry seasons in April, became a holy ground – where scores came forward and stood on the altar, heads solemnly bowed, committing and dedicating their lives to God and service to people. They experienced that solemn moment, when God, in another time and another place, called Moses through a burning bush to come and follow His call and mission in life, bringing the Jews from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.

Rev. Carvajal was a passionate and dedicated pastor and evangelist. His evangelistic meeting that night lasted for 30 days, preaching every night under the lights of kerosene lamps. His listeners came from distance several kilometres away, to hear him preached. At daytime, he and his deacons and deaconess held prayer meetings and visited homes in the community.

He organized the adults for visitations and personal evangelisms. He grouped the young people to provide gospel music and religious dramas. Some served as counselors and others participated with their presence. It was never easy to have a preaching sessions daily for 30 days, when you are not deeply committed to the task God called you to do. The evangelistic meetings headed by Rev. Carvajal in previous and succeeding years in Dumangas, always lasted for 30 days. He has a battery of co-ministers, who came and preached one night, after his 3 nights preaching/

Rev. Carvajal earned his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Theology and Bachelor of Divinity at Central Philippine University in 1956, 1969 and1970. He was among the first batch of students who earned Bachelor of Divinity at CPU. He has been a well-known and courageous pastor, evangelists and debater, who always have a formal debates with the debating teams of the Iglesia ni Kristo.

To learn the truth, the people helped build the elevated platforms where the debaters of the Baptists and Iglesia ni Kristo stood and fought with their wits, wisdom, fast thinking and great sense of humour. With his debating partner, Rev, Eduardo Montoyo, they held formal debates with the Iglesia ni Kristo groups in several venues – at Jaro Plaza, in San Jose Plaza in Antique, in Dumangas Plaza, at the back of Municipal Hall in Buenavista, Guimaras. Often thousands come and listen to the public debates with great interest. I have listened to this debate with his partners in Dumangas plaza and Buenavista, in Guimaras, with the Iglesia ni Kristo debater.

Rev. Carvajal was considered on of the most effective and successful pastor and evangelist in Panay during his time. A researched and study by Rev. Moley Famillaran, faculty of CPU College of Theology in 1968, that interviewed leaders of churches in the Baptist Convention area showed Rev. Ernesto Carvajal rated Number One on the list of most effective pastor in the Baptist Convention during that time. The study also revealed that the top 5 most effective ministers- were pastors / evangelists.

He was a diligent student of the Bible, of history, prophesies, biographies and current events. He anchored his preaching on the exhortations and promises of the Bible. He reads extensively. His library was filled with books and most of the current Christian literatures and preachings available at the time.

He has a strong sense of history. He loved freedom and justice. In the early 1960’s, most Filipinos thought the United States was a benevolent government and have no imperialist designs, that will bury Filipinos, specially farmers in landless poverty. Rev. Carvajal already saw the evils of US imperialism. . He saw the U.S. greedy foreign policies and how the controlled and dominated the economic and political life of the Filipinos. In a lecture he made “Spiritual Revolution”, he spoke of US imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitaiism, the evils that caused Philippine’s malady and economic deprivations.

He said in his lecture to a selected audience: “We are victims of neo-colonial schemes and greedy interests of US imperialism – the imposition of unequal treaties and agreements in the form of military basis agreements, the military assistance programs, the Laurel-Langley Agreements and the Parity Rights Amendments to the Philippine Constitution.” He said, this were one-sided treaties and agreements that put the interests of the United States and their business over the needs of the Filipinos.

“These arrangements preserved the country as a source of raw materials and foodstuffs for the US industries and people and as rich market for US finished products in the country. The Philippine currency was tied to the US dollar- thus the Philippine economic life was controlled in a variety of ways by the US capital.” He said, while the Philippines has political independence, it has no economic freedom.

He decried how the United States controlled the Philippines through its multi-national corporations:

“The Petroleum industry is dominated by five U.S. oil giant companies, profiting hugely from the monopoly of the oil industry. These oil company profits hugely from the monopoly and the large part of the profit were withdrawn from the country and remitted to the U.S.

“ The tire industry was completely American.

“American manufacturing companies, like Proctor & Gamble and Colgate Palmolive dominates the soap and cosmetic industries. Seven U.S. owned and controlled corporations were the controlling groups in chemical products.

“Some 170,000 Chinese and Filipinos were utilized as distributors of these different US products all over the country.” During that time, a lecture of this kind, he gave only to small and selected audiences.

In the early 1960’s, specially after the election of Diosdado Macapagal Philippine President, Rev. Carvajal had spoken of the “bogus land reform laws” passed by the landlords dominated Congress with so many lopeholes that genuine land reforms could not be achieved. He spoke of the worsening conditions of the Filipino masses if these problems were not addressed.

He said the strength of his ministry was in prayer. I saw him often in his studies with head bowed, in deep meditations, asking God for a message to share with his people. When he mounts the pulpit to preach on Sundays, he asked some of the church deacons to support him with their prayers, some in the prayer room, others on the pews.

When he preached in outdoor evangelistic rallies, he gathered a small group of friends in the church to support him with prayers. During his evangelistic meetings, often in the afternoons, they went to some isolated places, setting on the rice paddies to commune with God, seek His guidance and prayed to give power to the songs and messages that will be shared that evening.

In preparing his messages, he struggled to find the Bible references where his message will be anchored every Sunday. He said he has to dig for wisdom from God’s words every day of the week to feed the spiritual and mental needs of his congregation. He has to mine for hidden treasures in the Scriptures, words that could guide and direct, inspire, comforts and strengthen his members as they struggle under hard life and their problems during the week.

When he attended ministers conferences, Kasapulanans and Convention assemblies, he was always attentive on the lectures and messages whether in small discussions, plenary or the sanctuaries. He was seldom seen outside the assembly hall. He listened attentively to messages and lectures always with pen and notebook in his hands.

He said, he has to “jot down important points of the messages and lectures and tried to remember points as well as stories and illustrations. Often, the messages of the following Sunday, and some other Sundays in his church were summaries of the important points of messages and lectures he heard during conferences and assemblies.

He often said: “Speakers and lecturers in conferences and assemblies come with preparations. They come with new insights, new discoveries, new interpretations, fresh experiences and original stories and illustrations to share. I have to capture these insights, thoughts, feelings and stories to enriched mine. I have to catch ideas and insights, wherever I can, to share and feed the needs of my church.”

Rev. Carvajal was sickly, even in his youth. He suffered from stomach trouble, and often in great pain whenever it attacked. He has a very delicate health. He has to choose his food daily. When he forgot and eat fatty and hard to digest foods, he was attacked with the stomach malady that he carried all his life.

Later, he has a stomach operations. His vile was taken. And he has to be more careful of his foods.

No more soft drinks. No coffee. No chocolates. No fatty foods. The soup he has to take was carefully sifted, so that fatty and oily substance were taken out. When visiting church members in their homes and something was offered, he politely declined and only for a glass of water. He said, this was also good and helpful. His members do not have to worry what to offer him during times he calls and visit.

Visiting his members in their homes was a joy for Rev. Carvajal. Every Tuesday mornings and afternoons, Wednesday mornings and Thursday and Friday mornings, he visited his flocks. His visit were anticipated. These were times for his members to share their, difficulties and problems. It waS also times to share their joys.

Before he ends his visits, he opened his Bible and read an appropriate verse and pray, praying for the shared problems and joy, asking God’s help, protection and guidance – a specific prayers for specific personal and family needs. He said, major part of his messages on Sundays were responses to the shared problems and difficulties of his members. “How could I provide relevant messages for my members , if I do not visit them always and knew their problems and needs?”

Another reason why he remained faithful visiting members. “They responded and returned my visits, They came to visit me in church on Sundays.”

Rev. Ernesto Carvajal was a pastor and evangelist by heart. Preaching on different occasions, he always come to the central point of his message –Jesus Christ and His love, his death and resurrection. He stood before his audience and solemnly, prayerfully and boldly reminded each one, even how dark their lives and sins are, even how heavy their burdens are, if they open their hearts to Jesus and accept Him as Lord, He will forgive their sins, cleansed them and make them whole again.

As a minister, Rev. Carvajal stayed long in his pastorate. In Barsasan Baptist Church where he was student pastor, he stayed for 5 years. In Dumangas Baptist Church where he worked after finishing his theological studies, he pastored 14 years. At Jaro Evangelical Church, the First Baptist Church in the Philippines, he served 12 years, until his death.

His church calls? Most of his calls was only for one year. Every December as his term ends, he submit his Letter of Resignation. And every year, he was recalled. Asking him one time, how he feels when the congregation was discussing his resignation and will decide to recall him or not. He said: “ In the Lord’s work, when one door closes, another door opens. We need only to be sensitive to His call and guidance.”

Rev. Ernesto B. Carvajal was called by the Lord to join Him April 7, 1974. He was still young, only 47 years when he died. He was the pastor of Jaro Evangelical Church, when God called him to come home. . He expected it, after an open and closed surgery on his stomach. He talked and prayed for his wife, Irene, her daughter Erne and sons, Ernest and Rene Billy. He entrusted them all to the Lord. Before he died, he had made a request – that his fellow pastors carry his coffin to his grave.

In his tomb, he asked that the words of St. Paul be written, a testament of His commitment of service to God and his undying faith and hopes. It said: “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”