Chapter 4
I Reached Maao Central Evangelical Church, Bago City; A Place I Never Heard Before
It was 2nd 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. Rev. Levi Lahaylahay, was pastor there. In 1975, he was appointed General Secretary of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches until 1976.
Several weeks before, we met. He asked me if I would like to work at Polo Baptist Church in New Washington, Aklan. Polo was his home church. In 1974, Rev. Lahaylahay was still pastor of Jaro Evangelical Church. I went to Jec with my belongings ready to go to Aklan. But when I arrived in JEC, in Iloilo City, I was informed that Rev. Lajaylahay was in Manila. He will be back in two weeks time.
Since I do not have anything to do while waiting for him, I called a friend in Bacolod City. Manuel Jimenez, was with me at Lyceum of the Philippiines. 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. He became known with his new name, Pete Rivera. 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 and Panay.
Manny Jimenez was happy I called him. I got his phone on the MBC lists. One time, I was listening to MBC newscast. It was late at night. When I tuned-in, I heard a familiar voice. I knew his voice. I continued listening until the newcast ended. He ended his broadcast with this invitations.
“Please tune again tomorrow night. Same time. Same Station. This is your friend. Pete Rivera” I knew his voice. But I have not heard of the name. When I arrived in Iloilo City. I looked at the directory. There was no Pete Rivera there.
I called MBC and inquired for Pete Rivera. The woman who answered, asked to identify myself. I told her, I’m Rudy Bernal from, Agence France Presse. I still have my ID. The wowan called Pete, telling him Rudy Bernal was calling. Pete was very happy learning I am at the end of the line.line. We have not met for 5 years. He asked where I am. I told him I’m in Iloilo.
Pete told me to get the trip that afternoon. If possible before 4 PM. He will met me at Banago pier. He always visit me at Agence France Presse in Manila before. He asked me to bring some clothes so we could have time to be together for some weeks or months.
When I took the boat trip at 3:30 PM, with “Princess of Negros” to Bacolod City that day, the course and directions of my life has changed. The Bacolod trip opened me new opportunity for a wider Christian ministry, which I could never have reached, if Rev. Levi Lahaylahay has introduced me to Polo Baptist Church. Polo has its own potentials.
But it could not have opened for me, the Urban Industrial Missions works that God was calling me to undertake. For in that mission, I must learn the skills on Labor Education and Organizing that God was calling me to undertake.
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 at Yusay Building. Bacolod Supermart was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Felix Yusay, owner of Sugarland Hotel in Bacolod City.
Pete said, he will sell long Playing Records and Single Records. He will get his stock from Electro Sound Company and Vicor Music Corporation, on credit. Unsold products will be returned. He asked me to help him start his business.
We built his small Record Bar display inside Bacolod Supermart. He got some 200 pieces of Long Playing Records and about 1,000 pieces of Singles. He got a Salesgirl. And his business has started. Often, I and Pete met there at the Record Bar. Many young girls came to buy music songs at the Record Bar.
Listening songs at the Record Bar, I begun to love songs of the 50’s and 60’s, the songs of Matt Monroe, Karen Carpenter, Doris Day, Diana Winner, Julie Andrews, Andy Williams, Joan Baez, Patti Page, Barbra Striesand, Elvis Presley, Perry Como and Mary Hopkin. I listened to these songs. I cannot sing. I do not know how to sing love songs.
One day, we hang in his Record Bar. That day, I saw Rev. Esfe Tandog at Bacolod Supermart. Esfe Tandog was buying something, when I spotted him. I and Esfe Tandog were working students back in 1962, at CPU. We did not met since I left CPU, in 1964. We sat for a snack at Supermart’s Snack House.
We have good conversations and flashbacks on memories. After finishing his theological studies, Esfe Tandog, worked at Maao Evangelical Church, in Bago City. After several 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 ther radio station, DYWN.
We sat for a while and talked about the past. I told him of my life since I left the College of Theology and my ventures in Manila. Esfe 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. I resigned after two years. I am planning to go to Polo, New Washington, Aklan. Rev. Levy Lahaylahay will introduce me to Polo Baptist Church as pastor.
Rev. Tandog, told me that Maao Central Evangelical Church, was looking for a pastor. He told me next Sunday, he will speak at Aliansa Baptist Church, about 3 kilometers from Maao Central Evangelical. He said, “Rud, if you want to join, we can go together. We will visit Maao Central Evangelical Church. I will introduce you to the church President, Mr. Childe Alvarez.”
Three months before, I have 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 5 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 looking for a wife. Mr. Childe Alvarez just smiled. He has four girls all of marragiable ages. I never thought, his second child, will become my wife two years later.
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 at 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 for conversation that night.
The following day, during worship, I preached. I prepared my message. I knelt down and prayed. My Bible reflection was in Ilongo, our dialect, with few English words and phrases. I delivered my message extemporaseously. 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, 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.
At the center was the Sugar Mill station, which was surrounded with the staff houses and the 4 villages were the sugar workers have there houses.
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 employees and workers worked 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 maiden sermon as Pastor of Maao Central Evangelical Church. I studied my message. But I decided not to write it. I will master it’s central points and essence. 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 go and grow. But I felt, it will. I prayed that our ministry will affect the lives of the church and the community.
I prayed that God will empower the message. That God 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, the youths and the younger folks. I asked God to help me use the right words. The right phrases. The needed intonation. And touch my heart when I make the challenge.
We have a siezable audience. And as I preached, I felt a certain sensations in my heart. I felt my message was not good. It was long. About 18 minutes. 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 delivered that morning. It came from one of the young people. Tongue Innocencio. a talented youth leaders. He later became a pastor in Cebu. He called one of the young people who had not attended worship for sometimes. Tongue said before me: “Brod, you must go to church now. We have a new pastor. He preached a short message”.
God, I think used Tongue Inocencio, to teach me how to preach a kind of an effective sermon. Short sermons!
Part of the series The Ministry Years (chapter 4 of 48)
← Previous: Military Raid & Arrest of Pastor Rudy Bernal in Cawayan, C | Next: My First Year Ministry at Maao Central Evang. Church; Church →
No comments:
Post a Comment