Chapter 35
Election of Mr. Wilson D. Guanzon, CPBC President in the 1988-1991
Mr. Wilzon D. Guanzon was elected President in 1988-1991. Rev. Rev. Delbe Dianala was General Secretary from 1989-1993. Mr. Thor Famillaran was the Vice President.
It was also during the Presidency of Mr.Guanzon in December 19,1992, that my 4th and youngest son was born.
Mr. Guanzon, was elected president in the most difficult time of Convention history after 1950’s. Some called these, the “Darkest Days” of CPBC history.
Mr. Wilson D. Guanzon led the Convention with very little financial resources. He inherited an almost bankrupt Baptist Convention. Before the election in May 1988, all the funds in the CPBC from projects that have big amounts left, including the North Negros Development Project were released fast by the previous administration. The new administration was almost bancruft. When Mrs. Feraz Legita assumed his posts, after her appointment as Officer-in-Charged of Relief Ministries, the fund for her program was only P19,000.
The widespread corruption that hit Marcos rule from 1972-1986, after his fall, have continuing with hard effects for years after his rule. After their elections, Mr. Wilson D. Guanzon and Mr. Thor Famillaran, President and Vice President, worked hard to leading the Convention with strong determination to rise from the very hard situations. Support from the churches have gone down to only, 7 per cent. The task to revover lost grounds was left to Mr. Guanzon. The admistration was struggling for lack of funds. The Relief Ministry which was vacated by Mrs. Sampaguita Juarez, has no more programs and no money for its services.
The administration has to work with a minimal full time staff of 8 people. The remaining project it holds, the Support an Orphan (SAO) funded by the Australian Baptist Relief was taken from CPBC and given to Mrs. Juarez, as new SAO Project administrator.
By this time, CPBC’s project’s resources, in the Treasurer’s Office were all spent. No funds were forthcoming from CPBC former partners related to WCC -- Christian Aid, EZE, Diakonia, Bread for the World and Stichting . One reason, I learned later, CPBC leadership has not reported and liquidated project expenditures.
When I resigned as Director of the New Frontier Ministries years ago, the funds of NFM in the Treasurers Office, was about P2,700,000. These do not include funds from SAO (Support an Orphan) and Kinderhomes, which were also with the Treasurer’s office, but in separate accounts. .
Atty. Angel Lobaton, CPBC President, in 1987, went to the United States to attend a Conference of the American Baptist Churches, USA. He was not able to attend the international conference. He stayed in the US quite long. He returned to the Philippines nearly a year after he left. He also returned the travel money provided him to attend the BIM Conference in the United States which he was not able to attend.
After his election in 1988, Mr. Wilson. Guanzon, President and Rev. Delbe Dianala, General Secretary, requested me to assist Mrs. Feraz Legita in the Relief Ministries. I was given a little honorarium. I accepted it. Together, we worked and made plans to strengthen the CPBC Relief Ministries and assist the CPBC’s other programs.
We opened communications again, with closed relationship and partners. I tried with one partner before, but the response was negative. They said, they have not received report on the project and liquidations of the funds released.
When relations between CPBC and BUS were still closed. Rev. Olof Lindstrom came with visitors from Sweden, including Mr. Boo Forsberg, Diakonnia Director, Agneta Magnusson and others Diakonia friends. They visited the CPBC office. They visited Aklan. They also visited and have sharing and dinner with Hesther and me at home. Rev. Lindstrom made sure that the relations were alright, so that when new leadership came in, new relations could be started and partnership opened.
It was a hard four years, until relationship turned to normal with the elections of Mr. Wilson D. Guanzon, CPBC President.
The Baptist Union of Sweden responded positively. Rev. Olof Lindstrom came to the Philippines. Together with Mrs. Feraz Legita and Mr. Wilson Guanzon, we visited and assisted churches that were newly established by Bacolod Cosmopolitan Church. These churches were assisted with projects that were needed to strengthen their ministry.
We visited Rev. Arsenio Llamas at Murcia Evangelical Church, Mr. Allan Sy in San Enrique Baptist Church and the Minister of Maao Central Evangelical Church . Together, we worked to help stremgthen the small and newly organized churches in Central Negros.
We helped mobilized the churches to stand with the new leadership of the Convention. Because we do not have the needed resources, we mobilized local resources. In consultations and seminars in Antique, Mr. and Mrs. Dagohoy assisted.
He mobilized funds so we can have meetings with Pastors and leaders of Antique churches. We met at Antique Christian Center, with lunch provided by the Dagohoy family and Antique Christian Center, including our supper and breakfast. The CPBC has no funds yet for consultations, seminars and trainings.
In Bacolod City, every time Mrs. Feraz Legita and myself came, we stayed in the home of Mr. and Mrs.Wilson Guanzon. Their children, all young and students in high school and college were there. Mr. and Mrs. Guanzon provided us two rooms in their home – one room for Mrs. Legita and another room for me.
Our foods, snacks and some other needs, were provided by President and Mrs. Wilson Guanzon. These was how we pushed and sustained the CPBC ministry during that hard time of its history.
The following year, 1991, Diakonia came back and entered partnership again with CPBC Development Ministries. It started with Aklan-Capiz Baptist Integrated Program for Education & Development, Phase 1 from 1992-1995. It was followed with Panay-Negros Expansion Program for Development for Education and Cooperative Building, Phase 11 from 1995-1996.
It was followed with CPBC Development Ministries and continued 2006, when Diakonia Philippine ministry that covers Panay and Manila were closed, to serve other areas of the world.
Part of the series The Ministry Years (chapter 36 of 48)
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