Chapter 11 -The Famillaran & Lopez Leadership

 Chapter  11

              The  Famillaran   &   Lopez  Leadership 

                                                     

The Election of  Rev. Moley Familaran, President of CPBC  on May 1976 and Rev. Edwin Lopez in July  that same year,     have brought  momentum  to CPBC ministries the next 5 years.  Then it went down and  failed to  Regain  Lost Momentum for the succeeding years. 

In  the next  4     years after their elections in May 1976,   CPBC reached  some  strength and  height in the Convention  ministry  that was unprecedented.

At the CPBC Office,   Rev. Esfe Tandog   provided   the needed leadership to  consolidate the efforts from the ground. He’s the  Executive Assistant to  the General Secretary.   With the General Secretary,   Rev. Esfe Tandog,   produced  an instrument for the  CPBC  ministry to reach out far and   all  over the Convention  area. 

He worked and published an 8- pages newsletter known  as “Bali-Sulat”, in mimeograph  and circulated monthly, reaching out to most of  the churches,  informing them of what were done during the  months  and the plans for the  next months.

Employed CPBC Staff were headed by Rev. Edwin Lopez, General Secretary.  Assisting him were  3 Field Secretaries,   Rev. Penuelito Sacapano for  Evangelism, Rev.  Alfeo Tupaz for  Stewardship. Rev. Apolonio Francia for  Christian Education.  Jacinto   “ Jun”  Fabellore, Janitor and General  Services.

The  CPBC  Ministries  have grown  fast.  Never  in the history of the Convention  from its founding  in 1938.   Think of these.   Recruited to work full time   for CPBC in 1976-1977, were  Rev.  Amado Leonares, Rev. Elias Laprades,  Rev. Gigare, Rev. Selencino, Rev. Larry   Leysa,   Pastor Grace Faldas, Pastor Manny Monteclaro, Rev. David Rama;

Rev. Norberto Tabligan, Pastor Fred Jacildo, Rev. Jose Tarug,  Pastor     Lilia     Lirazan,   Pastor Nora  San   Pedro,  Pastor   Nora   Gabilo,   and Ms. Deli Baclagon. Rev. Repolidon was Coordinating Minister for  Eastern Mindanao, and Rev.  Este,   Coordinating Minister for   Western Mindanao.

Two Special  Staff,  Fred Lacuesta  and   Marissa Josico, were call  as Convention Youth workers.

The Office Secretaries were Miss  Deborah Dean and   Mrs. Rizalina Rafols, asssisted by two parttime secretaries.

Manning the Business Office in 1976  were  Fred Italia,  Treasurer,   He was assisted by Mr. Ephraem Baluya,  Bookeeper and  Edwin Gallenero, Assistant Bookeeper.

In 1976 -1977, the  component of the Convention  in the administration and the programs – Evangelism, Christian Education and Stewardship were 35 full time staff.

Two things, I will remember on the leadership of Rev. Edwin Lopez. He worked hard to send CPBC staff for training in the country and abroad, to learn more skills and capacity for the work in the Philippines.

I remember, he worked to send Rev.  Monyong Francia  and Miss Tita Grace Faldas to West Germany for training. The stayed in Germany for about 2 years. Their families in the Philippines were.

Rev, Esfe Tandog was sent to the United States to do 2 years study on his masteral course. He tried to go on to doctoral studies, to further developed his skills. A German pastor in the US assisted him to pursue his doctoral studies. But he went home. 

But when he arrived to the Iloilo City, he learned the support provided him by CPBC for his family was stopped. He asked his German friend to find way, so that he can pursue his study in the US, and find some works to help his family who in Iloilo. He was assisted by his German friend to work with him in his church  San Francisco.

He took a plane for the US. He did not have an endorsement from CPBC.  Mrs. Sandra Mosher, the BIM Correspondent, perhaps  worked  so  that Rev. Tandog could not work in the US. When his plane arrived in San Francisco, his German friend was  waiting for him. But he was not allowed to live the immigration office. The following flight, he was sent back the Philippines.

When I saw the situation, I tried to assist him with some work at the NFM.  There, Rev, Tandog worked for several months, until a church in Capiz called him to work in the mountain villages for some years. 

Rev. Elias Laprades, was sent for a scholarship in Switzerland. He studied at Roschilon. He stayed there for about 2 years. He studied on ecumenical studies. The study, also offered him opportunity to visit other countries in Europe. 

But  starting 1980, the  staff    of the Convention decreased from 32  to  only  10 full time staff. It remained on that level, until today. 

Under that leadership, of Rev. Edwin Lopez,  1976 - 1979   expanded to many  different places in the   country—in the towns of  Panay & Negros, Romblon, Mindoro,  Manila –Luzon. It made  stronger strides in both Western and Eastern  Mindanao.  The planting of new churches and it’s registration with the CPBC showed  growth  of 200  per cent   the last  4  years from 1976..

Some  ordained  ministers, were recalled by Rev. Lopez from hibernations to be evangelists again, planting churches in their assigned circuit areas.  Fresh graduates  were recruited,  like Pastor Tita Grace Faldas of CPU   College of Theology  and Pastor Nora San Pedro of  CBBC. They were trained as  Evangelists and church planters.  And every Sunday morning, the Evangelism Program staff, go to their churches with new challenges  and  carries new expectations

The Christian Education under Rev. Apolonio Francia produced 5  Sunday School materials    girded    to   strengthen    the   education   of    adults with  “      Eskuela Dominikal”.  and  young people with  four  different grade materials – Junior, Primary, Kinders, produced with relevance. CPBC also started a joint program  on writing Christian education materials with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

The Eskuela Dominal  become a  kind of text book, where several members in  local churches  buy copies for their studies during Sunday Schools for adults. They  studied  the Eskuela Dominakal before attending Sunday school on Sundays.

Working with Rev. Apolonio Francia, Field Secretary for Christian Education  were Ms. Deli Baclagon and   Rev. Selencino. They were assisted  sometimes by Mrs. Pat Lopez, with her skills on writing and editing. A group of volunteer writers, wrote their assigned manuscripts,  readied for printing on time,  every quarter and  circulated  as Sunday School guides.    The Kasapulanan offices were designated places where  Sunday School materials were available for churches.

The Stewardship Program under  Rev. Alfeo Tupaz undertook massive training of church  members nationwide  on Stewardship.  It was   designed to educate  members from adults to kinder school to give  their tithes and offerings   for the ministry.  An “Every Member Canvass”,  a  stewardship process  were  held for all staff, to maximize their skills on stewardship development and transfer this skills to church members all over the convention area.

Rev. Harold Blatt, an American missionary came to   CPBC on request by Rev. Edwin Lopez  to  help.  He was assisted by  Rev. Emilio Lapatha, an expert  on stewardship technology  and mobilizing   financial resources.  They   helped   train  CPBC staff on the art of stewardship with  “Every Member Canvass”  strategy.

This training   was  implemented with a  two -days week-end seminar, Saturdays and Sundays   where all members of   churches, from adults, young people to children were provided Biblical studies on stewardship, both from the Old and New Testaments, with tithing   as a  strong  focus and challenge. Then on Sunday morning worship services, each member put their commitment for support in a Pledge Card and gave during worship service as  support  for the whole year.

With the  Stewardship call,  program plans  were  made, with  financial support planned the whole  year, based on the pledges made during the stewardship commitment.

Some 30  CPBC staff were assigned to undertake the Every Member Canvas training all over the Convention several Sundays. I was assigned on one week-end   to Pulupandan Bapitst Church in Central Negros.  The response was  great.  Increased  of support was recorded.  Most  churches  gave 10% of their income   to   CPBC, the 50% of which was also shared with the  Kasapulanans.

The church members were  also challenged to give one  tablespoon of rice, for every cup  of rice they will  cook every meal. They kept   this daily in a Stewardship Basket, and brought it on Sundays as  church offerings,   specifically for the Pastors and his family’s food. 

The  3 CPBC  programs – Evangelism, Christian Education  and  Stewardship  with their  30   full time staff, pushed  hard the ministry   covering  Negros, Panay  Romblon, Mindoro, Masbate, Cebu,  Luzon, Manila, Western Mindanao and Eastern Mindanao.

The dynamism of the program could be felt   by  the churches with more members baptizd,  more new churches organized and bigger resources coming-in for the ministry of the Convention.

While the 3 major Programs of the Convention were implemented with force and dynamism,  Pastor Rudy Bernal, was assigned to start working  on CPBC’s   pilot Urban Industrial project at the vicinity of Insular Lumber Compnay in Hinobaan, Negros Occidental.

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It was for him, a  process, learning  technical skills and strategies for   development  ministries from later 1977 to 1978. Then, he was  transferred by Rev. Lopez  to the national office, as Deputy to the General Secretary  on Urban, Industrial  Mission. He worked in the CPBC office with Rev. Esfe Tandog, the Executive Assistant.

Starting in 1977, with General Assembly’s  mandate,  Pastor Rudy Bernal with the General Secretary and  President, conceptualized, planned and resourced funds  to expand  the  New Frontier Ministries (NFM),  the national development arms of the CPBC reaching out  several areas in the country where  the Convention ministries were  present. 

Assisting Pastor Bernal.  starting  1977,  was    Miss Feraz Baclagon, Secretary.  She worked hard, creatively and efficiently, with nearly 100 staffs of the developments projects,  including the  6 Kinderhomes and Support an Orphan (SAO) staffs.

For final editing…