Chapter 6- 2nd Year Ministry at MCEC -Evangelism, Encounter w/ "Demon Possessed", Church Renovations

                                        Chapter  6

    2^rd  Year  Ministry at  MCEC – Evangelistics & Revivals, Encounter w/ 

                “Demon Possessed”, &Church  Building Renovations

                                              

 It  was in  1975,  on my 2^nd    year  ministry at Maao Central Evangelical Church. We  ventured   into  some  activities that  we hoped  will strengthen our ministries.

We held an evangelistic & revival meetings with Evangelist Greg Tingson in the evenings for 3 days. At the same time, reaching out   to the students of Maao Central Elementary and High School   at 7:30 in the morning. We have  experienced   a   strange encounter  with a “demon possessed” young lady. We also strengthened our church choir, trying to learn from the best  Baptist choirs in Negros Kasapulanan. During the afternoons, we have meetings with some groups.

To  strengthen our ministry, we mobilized and train the church for special music. We have a big choir on that revival meetings with Evangelist  Greg Tingson, well-known Evangelist in the country.

During  those times, many  young people, who did not attend church,  were reached  by the gospel’s challenges.  Slowly,  more young people came and  became part  of the   young people’s group. They came to the church, a number  of them,  making  the church  their    second home.

Our   worship service on  Sundays  were at   6:30 AM.  It revolutionized our worship. Imagine, going to church that early morning. But now our worship attended by more adults. The church public address system,  provide   soft gospel  music at 5:30 AM. These were    recorded tapes, that sings  beautiful gospel songs.   The soft music    helped  prepare the members  get ready for the church service.

One time, after the church service, we encountered   a “demon possessed” young lady.   That  Saturday evening, I was visiting some members in the community. In one of the houses, there were many people  around  the house.  Inside,  I   heard a woman’s voice. She was talking in a  high pitched  voice.  I tried to listen. Then, a friend, told me that there was    a “demon possessed”  woman.  She has skills   healing people. But, sometimes, she lost consciousness and fall down. When  she recoveres, she can tell the sickness of those who came.   Many  people  gave donations for her  healing advise.

I went home that night. And here, near our church, about 200 meters away, a “demon possessed” woman was doing some kinds of “miracle”.  Many people came to her. I kept thinking.  How could we challenge such things in the our community? Here many  Baptists  lives.

The following day,  Sunday, while  I was preaching,  a group,    two men and a  young woman,

came.   It was the first time I saw the woman.   They  settled  on the last  bench at the back.  I saw the woman. She was young and pretty.   She was dressed in white.  I don’t know if  she’s  married.  I  don’t  knew  who she was. I knew his 2 companions.

I  went on with my message.   After the benediction,  I went  down to shaked hands with all members. I proceeded to the bench of  the woman and his  two  companions.  She stood.  I came near her. I was about to shake her hand, when I saw  her  begun to wreathe  in pain.  Then,  she  stretched  her body and began to fall down.  I moved  fast and caught  her, before she fall to the cement floors.

I asked some to help  make her lie on the bench. Then she,  began to speak. One of the men accompanying her said.  “Ara na. Nag-abut na. Mahambal na sia. (It’s  now time.  It came. She will now speak).  She began to speak. I cannot understand her words. I called  on our members to go around her.  We will pray.  I have not seen any one, possessed by evil spirit.    We surrounded her and prayed.

Mrs. Angelita Gonzaga, one of our church deacons came near. She’s a nurse.  She  touched and speak to the woman, who was talking.  Mrs. Gonzaga said:  “Hipos. Indi  ka  mag gahud”. ( Be silent. Don’t talk.) Mrs.Gonzaga took the pulse of the woman. She tried to  brushed her hair.  She   opened  her eyes.  She  looked  deep into the  girl’s eye balls.

Then, Mrs. Gonzaga said.  “Indi ni demon possessed. Indi ni sia naga trance.  Nagabugtaw  ni  sia.  Wala  sia nagakatulog.  Ari,  ang  iya  kalimutaw nagahulag.” (This is not a demon possessed woman.  She’s  awake. She’s not on trance.  She’s  not sleeping. Look, her eye balls were  moving).

Then, Mrs. Gonzaga told the men:  “Dal-a ninyo sia pauli. Papahuwaya ninyo sia.  Indi ni sia demon possessed.  Luyag lang niya mag negosyo paagi  sining  ipakita niya  nga miraculo.” (Please bring her home. Let her rest. She’s  not demon possessed.   She will just make some business by  showing  some miracles.)

That morning the girl, went home with her friends.    I heard she went home to their town, that day, in South Negros.   During the last four days she was here, she has developed a group  of people, who believed,  she has  power. That she can make miracles. That she can heal the sick. And some gave her donations of money.

In 1975, we   began  thinking of  renovating the church building.   The church was built strong,  with heavy cement posts and hollow blocked walls.  It has a two  cemented  storey  staple.

The  walls  have no finishings. The altar was old.  And the   windows, made of wood were  dilapidated. The church has no fences. There was  a need to renovate it.

During  meeting  called that day,  Ms.  Ramonita (Toto), Apostol, Church Treasurer,  spoke  that the church building  was not touched and improved for several years. It was now time to make the needed renovations. We asked how we will do it.  And suggestions came.  Time now to beautify the church. We need to  improved the altar. The dilapidated windows will be change with glass windows with  colored glasses.

The church hollow block walls must be given finishing touches. The wooden  windows, now dilapidated will be replaced with glasses with the upper part,  colored glasses, shaped like hearts

Toto Apostol  said  we have P5,000.  We can start work and request for  donations.  The young people said, they will have  Musical Concerts   and requests   donations. 

They said, they  will  visit and hold Music concerts in other  churches with Love Offerings for MCEC renovations. I suggested,  perhaps we  can  apply  a building loan from the  Baptist Convention. The suggestions were considered and approved.

The church wrote a letter to the Convention requesting for church loan of P20,000, payable in 5 years.  I will bring the request  to   Convention General Secretary and the Treasurer.  We  prepared  our  loan request  with  all  needed documents. 

The following day, I went to Iloilo City.  I with Mr. Fred Italia, Treasurer.  He took with other officers of the Convention. They approved our  P20,000 loan.   When, I returned that afternoon, I carried  a P20.000 check. I gave it to the President. He called the  Treasurer. They made plans to start the church renovations.

The Building Committee, chaired by Mr. Doronila  and  Mr. Hermosura, Chairman and Vice Chair of the committee took charge of the program of works.  The Young People and the Womens made  plans for Fund  raising.  Mr. Doronila also wrote a letter to Mr.  Araneta, Manager of Maao Sugar Central Company, requesting for 34 pieces of steel track rails,  9 foot high, as post for church fence.  Mr. Araneta gave us  all  the steel rails we need. 

We finished the renovation and improvement of the church. The altar was developed with colored glass windows.  We rebuilt the church windows with colored and stained glasses shaped like heart. We beautified the  church walls, with new finishing and pained.  We have fenced it with Cyclone Wires with steel posts. We paid fully our  P20,000 church building loan   in 5 years. 

With new confidence, Maao Central Evangelical Church moved  to meet new challenges and strengthened the Christian ministry. 

Edited….

  

                                                         Chapter  6

              2^rd  Year  Ministry at  MCEC – Evangelistic, Encounter w/ “Demon Possessed”,   &

                                           Church  Building Renovations

                                             

 It  was in  1975,  on my 2^nd    year  ministry at Maao Central Evangelical Church. We  ventured   into  some  activities that  we hoped  will strengthen our ministries.

We held an evangelistic & revival meetings with Evangelist Greg Tingson in the evenings for 3 days. At the same time, reaching out   to the students of Maao Central Elementary and High School   at 7:30 in the morning. We have  experienced   a   strange encounter  with a “demon possessed” young lady. We also strengthened our church choir, trying to learn from the best  Baptist choirs in Negros Kasapulanan. During the afternoons, we have meetings with some groups.

To  strengthen our ministry, we mobilized and train the church for special music. We have a big choir on that revival meetings with Evangelist  Greg Tingson.

During  those times, many  young people, who did not attend church,  were reached  by the gospel’s challenges.  Slowly,  more young people came and  became part  of the   young people’s group. They came to the church, a number  of them,  making  the church  their    second home.

Our   worship service on  Sundays  were at   6:30 AM.  It revolutionized our worship. Imagine, going to church that early morning. But now our worship attended by more adults. The church public address system,  provide   soft gospel  music at 5:30 AM. These were    recorded tapes, that sings  beautiful gospel songs.   The soft music    helped  prepare the members  get ready for the church service.

One time, after the church service, we encountered   a “demon possessed” young lady.   That  Saturday evening, I was visiting some members in the community. In one of the houses, there were many people  around  the house.  Inside,  I   heard a woman’s voice. She was talking in a  high pitched  voice.  I tried to listen. Then, a friend, told me that there was    a “demon possessed”  woman.  She has skills   healing people. But, sometimes, she lost consciousness and fall down. When  she recoveres, she can tell the sickness of those who came.   Many  people  gave donations for her  healing advise.

I went home that night. And here, near our church, about 200 meters away, a “demon possessed” woman was doing some kinds of “miracle”.  Many people came to her. I kept thinking.  How could we challenge such things in the our community? Here many  Baptists  lives.

The following day,  Sunday, while  I was preaching,  a group,    two men and a  young woman,

came.   It was the first time I saw the woman.   They  settled  on the last  bench at the back.  I saw the woman. She was young and pretty.   She was dressed in white.  I don’t know if  she’s  married.  I  don’t  knew  who she was. I knew his 2 companions.

I  went on with my message.   After the benediction,  I went  down to shaked hands with all members. I proceeded to the bench of  the woman and his  two  companions.  She stood.  I came near her. I was about to shake her hand, when I saw  her  begun to wreathe  in pain.  Then,  she  stretched  her body and began to fall down.  I moved  fast and caught  her, before she fall to the cement floors.

I asked some to help  make her lie on the bench. Then she,  began to speak. One of the men accompanying her said.  “Ara na. Nag-abut na. Mahambal na sia. (It’s  now time.  It came. She will now speak).  She began to speak. I cannot understand her words. I called  on our members to go around her.  We will pray.  I have not seen any one, possessed by evil spirit.    We surrounded her and prayed.

Mrs. Angelita Gonzaga, one of our church deacons came near. She’s a nurse.  She  touched and speak to the woman, who was talking.  Mrs. Gonzaga said:  “Hipos. Indi  ka  mag gahud”. ( Be silent. Don’t talk.) Mrs.Gonzaga took the pulse of the woman. She tried to  brushed her hair.  She   opened  her eyes.  She  looked  deep into the  girl’s eye balls.

Then, Mrs. Gonzaga said.  “Indi ni demon possessed. Indi ni sia naga trance.  Nagabugtaw  ni  sia.  Wala  sia nagakatulog.  Ari,  ang  iya  kalimutaw nagahulag.” (This is not a demon possessed woman.  She’s  awake. She’s not on trance.  She’s  not sleeping. Look, her eye balls were  moving).

Then, Mrs. Gonzaga told the men:  “Dal-a ninyo sia pauli. Papahuwaya ninyo sia.  Indi ni sia demon possessed.  Luyag lang niya mag negosyo paagi  sining  ipakita niya  nga miraculo.” (Please bring her home. Let her rest. She’s  not demon possessed.   She will just make some business by  showing  some miracles.)

That morning the girl, went home with her friends.    I heard she went home to their town, that day, in South Negros.   During the last four days she was here, she has developed a group  of people, who believed,  she has  power. That she can make miracles. That she can heal the sick. And some gave her donations of money.

In 1975, we   began  thinking of  renovating the church building.   The church was built strong,  with heavy cement posts and hollow blocked walls.  It has a two  cemented  storey  staple.

The  walls  have no finishings. The altar was old.  And the   windows, made of wood were  dilapidated. The church has no fences. There was  a need to renovate it.

During  meeting  called that day,  Ms.  Ramonita (Toto), Apostol, Church Treasurer,  spoke  that the church building  was not touched and improved for several years. It was now time to make the needed renovations. We asked how we will do it.  And suggestions came.  Time now to beautify the church. We need to  improved the altar. The dilapidated windows will be change with glass windows with  colored glasses.

The church hollow block walls must be given finishing touches. The wooden  windows, now dilapidated will be replaced with glasses with the upper part,  colored glasses, shaped like hearts

Toto Apostol  said  we have P5,000.  We can start work and request for  donations.  The young people said, they will have  Musical Concerts   and requests   donations. They said, they  will  visit and hold Music concerts in other  churches with Love Offerings for MCEC renovations. I suggested,  perhaps we  can  apply  a building loan from the  Baptist Convention.   The suggestions were approved.

The church wrote a letter to the Convention requesting for church loan of P20,000, payable in 5 years.  I will bring the request  to   Convention General Secretary and the Treasurer.  We  prepared  our  loan request  with  all  needed documents. 

The following day, I went to Iloilo City.  I with Mr. Fred Italia, Treasurer.  He took with other officers of the Convention. They approved our  P20,000 loan.   When, I returned that afternoon, I carried   a P20.000 check. I gave it to the President. He called the  Treasurer. They made plans to start the church renovations.

The Building Committee, chaired by Mr. Doronila  and  Mr. Hermosura, Chairman and Vice Chair of the committee took charge of the program of works.  The Young People and the Womens made  plans for Fund  raising.  Mr. Doronila also wrote a letter to Mr.  Araneta, Manager of Maao Sugar Central Company, requesting for 34 pieces of steel track rails,  9 foot high, as post for church fence.  Mr. Araneta gave us  all  the steel rails we need. 

We finished the renovation and improvement of the church. We have fenced it with Cyclone Wires with steel posts. We paid fully our  P20,000 church building loan   in 5 years. With new confidence, Maao Central Evangelical Churhc  move to meet new challenges and strengthened the Christian ministry..