Chapter 21-The Ministry of Rev. Ernesto B. Carvajal

That night in April Rev. Ernesto Carvajal, pastor and evangelist stood on a small wooden pulpit on the rice field. The “Church Tabernacle” the church built purposely for evangelistic meetings, was a 20 x 40 -foot movable tabernacle, a make-shift structure covered with tent roofs with two rows of 15 seats on the middle of the field.

I was a third year high school in Dumangas during that time. Rev. Carvajal preached that evening inside the homemade “Church Tabernacle” in the newly harvested rice field

That evening 500 people, men and women and youth with some children were present in Bacay, a coastal village of Dumangas that April 18, 1958. He preaches nightly for 30 nights until May 18. His voice was strong, resonant, vibrant and clear. There was no amplifier. No loudspeakers, but his words could be heard clearly half a kilometre away. He told stories of life, deadly sins, death, hope and God’s offer of salvation. He share with people that evening the story of love, the power of faith, wonders and hopes of salvation and and God’s gift of eternal life.

Rev. Ernesto B. Carvajal preached his sermon that night with strength and power. He stood on the pulpit of tabernacle on the field that was harvested weeks ago. His audience listen with their hearts open. They were attentive. He made them smile. They think deeply on his words. He touched their hearts. He stirred their souls. They burst with laughter with his jokes. They meditated solemnly on the message he shared with them. Some weep in silence.

He led them in a heart and soul searching as he shared the story of the love of God who sent His son to die on the cross in Calvary between two thieves to redeem all from sin. He called on them to repent and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Many of them responded to his invitations, the choir’s soft- singing “ Pass Me Not, Oh Gentle Savior”. Solemnly, he asked them to come to Jesus Christ and accept Him their Lord and Savior.

Scores came forward on the makeshift altar of the Tabernacle Tent. They came and stood on the altar, some with tears in their eyes. Then, he led them in prayer asking God to be with them and strengthen them as they start their new lives under God's loving care and guidance.

The newly harvested rice fields that night, under the spill of April dry season, became a holy ground where 60 people came forward and stood on the small altar, heads solemnly bowed, many with tears in their eyes. They were silently committing and dedicating their lives to God and service to people.

They were experiencing the solemn moments, when God in another time and place many years ago, called Moses through a "burning bush", also on the field, to come and follow God's call and mission, bringing the Jews out of slavery in Egypt to live in freedom and liberated lives. They went out from slavery to a new life in the Promised Land.

Rev. Carvajal was a passionate and dedicated pastor and evangelist. His evangelistic meeting that night lasts 30 days. He preaches every night under the light of 4 kerosene lamps. His listeners came from distance several kilometers away to hear him preach. At daytime, he and his deacons and deaconess held prayer meetings and visited homes in the community.

He organized the adults for visitations and personal evangelism. He grouped the young people to provide gospel music and religious dramas. Some served as counselors, others participated with their presence. It was never easy to have preaching sessions daily for 30 days. Only people with hard and deep commitments can do these tasks.

The evangelistic meetings headed by Rev. Carvajal in previous and succeeding years in Dumangas always lasted for 30 days. He had friends of co-ministers who came and preached one night, after his 3 nights successive preaching. Then, again for three nights, he preached. Another preacher came and preached after his succeesive 3 nights preaching.

Rev. Carvajal earned three Bachelor Degree to strengthen his ministry. He finishes Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Theology and Bachelor of Divinity at Central Philippine University in the years 1956, 1969 and 1970. He was among the first batch of students who earned a Bachelor of Divinity at CPU. He had been a well-known and courageous evangelist and debater, who always had formal debates against the debating teams of the Iglesia ni Kristo. He and friend, Rev. Eduardo Montoyo and Rev. Dofeliz were well- trained debaters with Iglesia ni Kristo debaters.

To learn the truth, the people helped build the elevated platforms where the debaters of the Baptists and Iglesia ni Kristo stood and fought with their wits, wisdom, fast thinking and a great sense of humor. With his debating partners, Rev. Eduardo Montoyo and Rev. Angel Dofeliz, they held formal debates with the Iglesia ni Kristo groups in several venues – at Jaro Public Plaza, another time in San Jose Public Plaza in Antique, in Dumangas Plaza, at the back of Municipal Hall in Buenavista, Guimaras and several other places that served as a venue for their debates.

Often thousands came and listened to the public debates with great interest. I have listened to one of these debates with his partners in Dumangas Plaza. Again. I listened in his debates in Buenavista, Guimaras, alone against 3 debaters of the Iglesia ni Kristo.

Rev. Carvajal was considered one of the most effective and successful pastor and evangelist in Panay during his time. A researched study by Rev. Moley Famillaran, faculty of CPU College of Theology in 1968 that have interviewed leaders of churches in the Baptist Convention area showed Rev. Ernesto Carvajal rated Number 1 on the list of “Most Effective” pastor in the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches. The study recorded by Rev. Molley Famillaran also revealed that the top 5 most effective ministers were pastors and evangelists.

Rev. Carvajal was a diligent student of the Bible, student of history, prophesies, biographies and current events. He anchored his preaching on the exhortations and promises of the Bible. He reads extensively. His library was full with books, most current Christian literatures and preaching books.

He had a strong sense of history. He loved freedom, equality and justice. In the early 1960s, most Filipinos thought the United States was a benevolent government and had no imperialist interests and design that will bury Filipinos, specially farmers and workers suffering in landless poverty. Rev. Carvajal already saw the evils of US imperialism in 1950's.

He saw the U.S. greedy foreign policies and how USA controlled and dominated the economic and political life of the Filipinos, burying them deep in poverty. In a lecture on “Spiritual Revolution”, he spoke of US imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism, as the three evils of American controls that caused Philippine’s malady, economic poverty and political control.

He told a selected audience: “We are victims of neo-colonial schemes and greedy interests of US imperialism, the imposition of unequal treaties and agreements in the form of Military Basis Agreements, the Military Assistance Programs, the Laurel-Langley Agreements and the Parity Rights Amendments to the Philippine Constitution.” He emphasized, these were all one-sided treaties and agreements that put the interests of the United States and their businesses over the needs and interest of the Filipino people.

“These arrangements preserved the country as a source of raw materials and foodstuffs for the US industries and people and as rich market for US finished products in the country. The Philippine currency was tied to the US dollar- thus the Philippine economic life was controlled in varieties of ways by the US capital.” He said that while the Philippines has political independence, it has no economic freedom.

He decried and lamented how the United States controlled the Filipino people through their multi-national corporations:

“The Petroleum industry is dominated by five U.S. oil giant companies, profiting hugely from the monopoly of the oil industry. These oil companies profited hugely from the monopoly and the large part of the profit were withdrawn from the country and remitted to the United States.

“The tire industry was completely American. American manufacturing companies, like Proctor & Gamble and Colgate Palmolive dominates the soap and cosmetic industries. Seven U.S. owned and controlled corporations were the controlling groups in chemical products.

“Some 170,000 Chinese and Filipinos were utilized as distributors of these different US products all over the country.” This kind of lecture sounded inimical. He spoke only to selected audience.

In the early 1960’s, especially after the election of Diosdado Macapagal as Philippine President, Rev. Carvajal spoke of the “bogus land reform laws” passed by the landlords who dominated Congress with so many loopholes that genuine land reforms could not be achieved.

He spoke of the worsening conditions of the Filipino masses and peoples rebellion if these problems were not addressed.

1Wilson D Guanzon

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