Chapter
7
3rd Year Ministry at MCEC –
Conscientization & Social
Awareness Building
On
the third year of our ministry at MCEC, we
tried to widen our ministry
starting the 4rd
Quarter of 1975. We tried to learn new
technics and skills on management, leardership building and mobilizations, at the same time exposed our church members
to these management skills and leadership.
We
invited Rev. Conrad Brown, an American missionary with the Convention
Baptist for a 2-day seminar
on conscientization and socio-political awareness building. We
involved most of the church leaders and members.
To upgrade me on
church works, I sat often with Rev. Esfe
Tandog whenever he came home to Maao
Central. He was the Provincial Minister of Negros Kasapulanan of Baptist
Churches. I always visit, when he came.
We have lunch together with his family. Mrs. Nelly Tandog. I tried, to get some of his ideas and thoughts on the
ministry. I also visited Rev. and
Mrs. Floripe Herradura, Pastor of Maao Evangelical Church, in Barrio Maao. I tried to get his experiences on evangelization ministry. During his time,
Rev. Heradura and his wife, also a minister,
helped build 4 daughter church congregations in the sitios of Barrio Maao.
We invited
Rev. Conrad Brown, Director of
the Center for Education &
Research (CER), a project of the CPBC.
He has skills on
organizing, conscientizations and
people mobilizations. I have joined him in some seminars and
workshops in Iloilo and saw the need to involve the church
in this ministry. Rev. Brown accepted
our invitations. He came for a 2-day
workshop, that starts at 9:00 AM on
Saturday and ends at 10:00 PM on
Sunday,
We
request Con Brown to pay for their transportations and expenses on the way. He was joined by Rev. Larry Leysa, a parttime staff of CER and
Promotional Secretary of Iloilo Kasapulanan of Baptist Churches. Mrs. Nelly Tandog and her younger sister,
Gloria, attended the seminar. Also attending were Atty. Wally and Linda Hidalgo. A month ago, I baptized Gloria and Atty. Wally Hidalgo. They
were part of our continuing evangelization ministry.
The
2 –day affairs, started Saturday at 10:00 AM until 10:00
PM. Then on Sunday, we
started at 8:30 -11:45 AM. We continued the Process
Education at 1:30 PM until 5:00 PM. We have our supper at 6:00 PM. And continued until 10:00 PM.
It was a very helpful education process. The young people were there. The Baptist
Women and Baptist Men were there.
Members of the Board of Deacons and Board of Trustees. The choir were
there. Some younger young people, the Junior high came. We invited anyone who had time to attend, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM the next two days. It was great to be together to learn.
We started at 8:00 AM., Sunday. The worship service continued with Dr. Brown
and Rev. Larry Leysa leading the
worship. The worship situation was
different from our worship services before. We have songs, the kind we called “Struggle Songs.” The sermon was different. It was not
preached on the pulpit. We were not facing the altar. The message was preached
on the church floors at the back, near the entrance. We were on a
circle, facing each other.
That morning, we
were all preachers. Rev. Brown made a
reflection based on a gospel story. Then he called us all to share our
understanding of Jesus messages on the story.
He encouraged all to speak, including
the Junior highs. Everyone spoke. We all
shared our messages. A three minutes reflections. Or a two minutes
reflection, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 7
minutes. A ten minutes reflections. We
were encouraged to speak, all of
us. All church members, preached that day.
Then Rev. Brown,
stood at the front of us all. He stood on the floor. He summarized all we have shared. That was
his message for all of us. The summary of what all have shared.
Dr. Conrad Brown
taught the whole church, a new methods of teaching and preaching. Not on the pulpit above the people. He preached
standing on the floor. No microphones. He stood on the floor. He was on the same level with the people.
That afternoon,
and evening we continued with the process. And at 7:00 PM, we came for the last session. It was sharing again of all we learned during the
two days affair.
We were also
called to share and wrote on a one half size of bond paper, what we hoped to do and accomplished in the
worked of the Lord the 5 years. At closing,
Rev. Larry Leysa prayed for all
of us. He entrusted us all to the Lord.
That seminar
helped provide us with additional ideas and skills on leadership and mobilization works. In our
church there were no listeneers. All
were part of the living ministry. All have work to do. And all were expected to
do the works to the best of their abilities. We discovered a new methods for change process among the leaders and members of the church. It was an
experience, most of us learned
and used in our work and ministry.
As I reflect on what I hoped
to happen the next 5 years, as Dr. Brown challenced us to think and
consider. Lots of potentials came to my
mind. May
1976, were very important days. It was election of officials – President, Vice President and 7
members of the Board of Trustees of
CPBC. It will be followed in June
or July with the election of the General
Secretary.
That night,
with all participants gone home and Rev. Brown
sleeping, Rev. Larry Leysa and me, talked about the future
leadership of the Convention. We need
the new leadership-- the President, Vice
President, the 7 members of the Board of
Trustees and the next General Secretary be part of our lives and ministry. We will worked hard
so that the new leaders will be our partners in the national ministry of
the Convention. Our group must be strong and
united. We will have a voice in the
management, directions and policies of the Baptist Convention.
Together we prayed
for the future. And we tried to identify possible people to be on the Convention
leadership. We decided to visit some
leaders in Negros and Panay. And planned with them on the future leadership
of CPBC. These was part of the challenge to us by Dr.
Brown. What we hope to accomplish in the Lord’s work the next 5 years.
With the
Young People and the Choir, we looked for ways to make
them a strong partners in our ministry. We need to explore new means for the
development of MCEC music ministry, the Church
Choir and the “The Joyful Singers.” Last May,
our choir was invited to sing at the assembly of the Negros Kasapulanan
of Baptist Churches.
We were invited
together with Bacolod Evangelical Church, Bacolod Cosmpolitan Church, Bakyas
Evangelical Church and La Carlota Evangelical Church. We also begun working for a
possible Musical Concerts on 1976’s
Valentines Day and Christmas Cantatas.
Every Christmas,
our choir visited homes of members and friends and sung Christmas songs. We have beautiful Christmas songs prepared
by Elmer de Asis and Art Samson.
I tried to
recall our choir members in
those days. We have one of the
best choirs in Negros Occidental. The
choir members were young and
lovely, all unmarried, headed by Elmer de
Asis and Art Samson, directors The
members were Deding Moncay, Hesther, Hilda & Rachel Alvarez, Emelia
Abilarde, Lota and Linda Bulaclac. Daday
& Rosario Doronila, Alpha &
Omega Hermosura, Jean and Mja Inocencio, Erle, Tata and Jiji Gonzaga.
Our male choir
members were Tongue Inocencio, Nap de
Asis, Julios Samson, Mondo Aligonsa,
Doroy Ada, Merare Garovillo, Telo Bagaforo, Cecilio Villasenor, Elmo de Asis
and Conan.
Art Samson helped
us organized the Joyful Singers, a group of young people, that can be called
upon to provide special music during
some services.
It was composed
of Hesther & Hilda Alvarez. Lota and Linda Bulaclac, Erle Gonzaga and whoever that can join when
their was Special occasions. This group also provide a tape recorded songs for “Hour of Discovery” radio program.
Reflecting on
this, May 18, 2017, Nap de Asis said: “Thanks
for sharing the memories Pastor Bernal… I was a High Schooler then, when you served our home church…Maao Central
Evangelical Church where we grew as Christians and proud that Papang was one of the founding members…Precious
memories.”
“We
remember our Cantatas, with my brod
Elmer and Art as our directors…daigons,
concerts, campings…are all stored in my
memories and will be cherished always…damu gid kami nga batch during our young
people’s days.”
“We
made the church our second home… “simbahan lang permi”…as I recalled
my Mamang say, everytime we are out of her sight for the chores at home…the best I can
say …Thanks you Maao Central
Evangelical Church…you are part of our growing up to become good
Christians…growing up…or ‘laking
simbahan’ makes a difference…”
We moved out a
bit farther, trying to make Maao Central
Evangelical Church’s music ministry reached a
wider overage. We strengthened
relationship among young people, with
activities that try to build them up, meetings, studies. swimmings,
campings, cantatas, daigons, musical
concerts.
We camp anytime we
have chances-, in the church, in beaches
with church members. We have camping & swimming
in small rivers surrounded with sugarcane plantations. The young people always sung, wherever there were chance to sing. We learned to love deeply our musics and songs.
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