Pastor Rudy Bernal Reached Maao Central Evangelical Church & Continued His Ministry w/ A New Challenge

M E M O R I E S: Life and Time of Pastor Rudy Bernal, his  Glimpses on History &

                      The People’s Struggle for Freedom

Chapter 28 - Pastor Rudy Bernal  Reached  Maao  Central Evangelical Church &  Continued His Ministry  w/  A  New Challenge

It  was  3^rd quarter of  1974 when an opportunity opened for my ministry  in Negros Occidental.    After I resigned from Cawayan Baptist Church, I went to Jaro  Evangelical Church to see Rev. Levi Lahaylahay.

 Several weeks ago, we met. I told  him, I would like to work in a church. He said: "Do you want to work in Polo Baptist Church?"    Polo was his home church.   But when I arrived  at  JEC, I was informed that Rev. Lajaylahay was in Manila. And he will be back in about two weeks.

Since I do not have anything to do while waiting for Rev.Lajaylahay, I called a  friend in  Bacolod City, who was with me at  Lyceum of the Philippines before, Manuel Jimenez. He finished  Foreign Service but was challenged  to radio broadcasting. He trained for several  months  with  Manila Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), in Manila. Then he was assigned with MBC in Bacolod City.

When he started his radio broadcast, he changed his name, to Pete Rivera.  It was his rado name. And he became known with his new name.  Almost no one, except his family and close friend knew  who Manuel Jimenez anymore.  Pete Rivera   became a well known name  to most radio listeners of MBC  in Negros Island.  

Manny  Jimenez was  happy I called him. I got his phone on  PLDT  phone list.   He said, I must take the 2^nd Trip boat the  following day to  Banago, in  Bacolod City. We have not met for  more than 4 years.  He said: "Bring some clothes. So we could have time to be together, for a week or a month." 

When  I  took the 2^nd trip boat, Princess of Negros  to Bacolod City that day,  the course of  my life has  made  some  change.   That  Bacolod trip  opened me  new opportunities and a wider  ministry.

Pete Rivera was already married. His wife was lovely and  intelligent high school  teacher. She’s a Japanese mestisa. Pete  told me he was ready to start a small business.  A Record Bar  at Bacolod Supermart  in Yusay Building.  Bacolod Supermart was owned by Mr. Felix Yusay,  owner also  of Sugarland Hotel in  Bacolod  City. Pete said:  "I will start a small business. I will sell records. Long playing records and  Singles. I will  get stocks from Electro Sound and Vicor Corporation."  Pete asked me to help him set up his small business.  

We built his small  Record Bar display  inside Bacolod  Supermart.  He  got some   some 200 pieces of Long Playing Records and about 1,500 pieces of Singles. He got a Salesgirl.  And his business has started. Often, I and Pete met there at the Record Bar.

One day,  we  hang  in his   Record Bar.   I saw    Esfe Tandog  at Bacolod Supermart.   Esfe Tandog was buying something, when  I spotted  him.  I and Esfe Tandog were  working students  back in 1964, at   CPU. We did not met since I left CPU.   We sat for a snack.

We have good conversations and flashbacks on memories.  After finishing his theological studies,  Esfe Tandog    Pastored   Maao Evangelical Church, in  Bago City. After  four  years at MEC,  he resigned and went to radio  broadcasting works. He was taken by Atty. Alex Espino, President of West Negros College  to work with DYWN  radio station.  

 We sat for a while  and talked  about  about the past.  I  told him of  my life since I left the College of Theology.  My ventures in Manila, my work with Philippines Herald News paper  and the news agency.  Esfe  Tandog  shared that he left  also the ministry. He went to  radio broadcasting for several years. Then, few months ago,   he went back to the ministry as Provincial Minister of Negros Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches.  His  residence  and office with his wife, Nelly,  was at Bacolod Christian Center.

 I told Rev. Tandog  that  I also went back to the ministry and pastored  two years at Cawayan Baptist Church in Carles,  Iloilo. I resigned after two years. I am planning to go to Polo, New Washington, Aklan  for Rev. Levy Lahaylahay will introduce me to Polo church.

Rev. Tandog,  said immeditely.  "Rud,  Maao Central Evangelical Church,  was looking for a pastor.  Next Sunday, I will preached at Aliansa Baptist Church, about  4 kms., from Maao Central. If you want, you can join me.We will go together. to Maao Central Evangelical Church. I will introduce you to  Mr. Childe Alvarez., church president."    

 Three months before, I met   Mr.  Childe Alvarez   during  a  Lay Leadership Training led by the Baptist Convention at  Camp Higher Ground in  Barotac Viejo.  We attended together  with some 50   church pastors and lay  leaders, a  training on stewardship and church management.  We were together in  our group of  6 persons  for 4 days.   Our bed were near each other. And we became  friends. We shared something of  our lives. He told me he has  7 children, 5 girls  and two boys. I told him, I am single and l looking for a wife.  Mr. Alvarez just  smiled.  He did not tell me his 5 children were now  young  ladies, and lovely.

Rev. Tandog accompanied    me  to the home of Mr.  Childe Alvarez. We have a short sharing and he left for Aliansa Baptist Church that afternoon.

That Saturday  evening,  I was guest at the home  Mr. and Mrs. Childe and Leonor Alvarez.  Together with us  at  supper, was Hesther, one of  their    lovely daughters. The two daughters,  Gilda and  Rachel were practicing in the  church choir. The eldest  Rosea  was teaching in Good Shepherd’s Fold Academy in Guimaras.   The two sons, where  still out.  I got a good  conversations with Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez and Hesther.  Her voice, she said was  not well, and she did not join the choir practice.  She  remained  at home. And we have little time  more  for conversation that  night.

The following day,  during worship, I preached.  I  prepared  my  message. That night, I knelt down and prayed. My Bible reflection was in Ilongo, our dialect, with few English words and phrases. I delivered my message .I felt my message touched some listeners in the congregations.  I hoped it reached their hearts.   In closing, I prayed for the members and the church.

After the service,  the Church Board came together for a meeting.  That morning, they  decided to call me Pastor of  Maao Central Evangelical Church. The call was written,  signed by the  Church Secretary. It was  noted by  the Church President.  After reading the church call,  I told Mr. Alvarez  I  accepted  their   call.  I will be ready to assume the post in 2 weeks time.

Two weeks later, I came with my bag of clothes, two  cartoons,  and started my pastoral ministry in Maao Central Evangelical Church. The church was located  in the vicinity of  Maao Sugar Central Company, Inc., , with  thousand hectares of sugar cane plantations around,  and  hundreds of trucks lining every day on the highway, waiting for their turn to deliver the sugar canes from the farms to the mills in Maao Central Sugar Mills. 

 It  was the first time I saw and entered a  sugar milling plant in  my life.  I am in a new venue in my   ministry,  a rural –industrial venue, where  more than a thousand employes and workers,  during most of the whole year. I thought, my experiences with PANELFU, also a labor  union,  will be helpful in my ministry here.

That Sunday morning, I took  the pulpit. I preached my  first sermon as Pastor of Maao Central Evangelical Church. I decided  not to write my message. I will preached from my mind and heart.  It was a ministry that I have prayed for. I don’t know how  our ministry will grow.  But I felt,   it will. I prayed that our  ministry will affect the life of the church and the community. 

  I prayed  that God will empower the message.  That He will take charge of my mind.  That He will touched  my tongue.  I need to preach a  simple  and clear  message that will be easily understood, by adults,  youth and the younger folks. I asked God to help me use the  right words.  The right phrases. The needed intonation. And  the   challenge.

We have   a siezable audience. And as I preached,  I felt  a certain sensations in my heart.  And I felt my message was not good.  But I felt, it reached  there  hearts.    I closed the message with a prayer.  I entrusted my  members to the Lord.  I went with our Liturgist to the entrance of the Church. I stood and extend my hands to all who were going out. I  clasped each  extended hand.  

That afternoon, I received  one  very positive response to  my  message  that morning. .  It was delivered  by one of the young people. Tongue Villasenor,  a  talented  youth leaders. He later became a pastor. He  called one  of the young people  who had not attended worship for sometimes.

 Tongue Villasenor  said:  “Brod, you must go to church now. We have a new pastor.  He preached  a  short message”.