Pastors from various Christian denominations convened at the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Pablo City, Philippines for the PREACH Project for Reaching Every Clergy at Home. With attendees from the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon, a total of 56 participants joined the event, themed “Feed My Lamb.” The primary objective was to forge positive relationships with clergy members and share insights to better serve their congregations by nurturing their faculties.
Feed My Lamb
The presentations covered a wide range of areas vital to the life and ministry of pastors, including physical and mental health, music, family, the congregation, and personal spiritual growth. All presenters were from the North Philippine Union Conference (NPUC), the main office of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Luzon.
Dr. Jade Hintay, Health Ministries director, addressed the crucial topic of maintaining physical health through a proper diet, citing concerning rates of obesity and hypertension among clergy members. Emphasizing the relationship of a healthy diet with mental, social, physical, and spiritual well-being, she underscored the importance of a balanced diet.
Following this, Dr. Josie-Felda Calera, Music Ministries director, discussed the significance of nurturing the soul with music, describing it as soothing and uplifting, promoting physical and mental well-being. Additionally, Dr. Ardie Diaz delved into the necessity of feeding the mind with spiritual sustenance. She asserted, “What you feed your mind will determine the health of your emotional and spiritual state; it will either eat you up or fill you up. Feeding the mind with God’s truth will keep you strong.”
Delba de Chavez, director of Family Ministries, underscored the significance of family worship in her presentation. She emphasized that spiritually enriched households prioritize faith interactions, including family worship, prayer, and Bible reading. She further highlighted that modern technology often disrupts family bonding, noting, “Phones have become an unwelcome addition to the dinner table setting.”
Highlighting the spiritual nourishment of the congregations, Pastor Jose Orbe, Jr., Data Privacy Officer, outlined 3 reasons to nourish the church: to reinvigorate, to replenish, and to reproduce. He said, “When we fail to bring the flock to faith in God, they are hungry. They keep eating but remain hungry. They keep drinking but remain thirsty. What should we feed them? Christ. How will we feed them? By leading them to faith in Christ, Christ will satisfy them. Christ is enough. And when Christ suffices, they will lack nothing.” Further delving into the theme of church growth, Pastor Orbe explained, “Growth is a natural outcome of being nourished in Christ. The church is to be nourished not only with soft food or snacks or a sample diet but with a substantial Savior-centered feast. When we do homily in the pulpit, Christ must be the focal point.”
Pastor Marvin Diaz, the ministerial secretary, wrapped up the session with the topic “Feeding the Minister with Biblical Diet,” emphasizing, “When the sheep are well fed, milk is good.” He encouraged the ministers to prioritize spending time in the study of God’s Word, stating, “True happiness only comes through the Word of God. The Word of God sanctifies us. We must have encounters with the Word of God. The Bible isn’t merely a tool for preaching; it is for the transformation of our lives.”
Feedback and Reflections
In an expression of delight, Rev. Nestor P. delos Santos, a delegate from Jesus Christ Refiner’s Fire Church, exclaimed, “Everything here is godly. We can feel the presence of God. God’s presence is with you. We are eager to replicate your good practices, methodologies, and teachings and how you live as a Christian.”
Senior Pastor Rev. Arcangel Santonia of The Light of the World expressed heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to fellowship with Adventist pastors. He stated, “This gathering goes to show that although we are from different organizations, we are united in one Spirit and one God.” He was grateful for the insightful presentations, which covered vital aspects of a pastor’s life and ministry. He continued, “One thing we realized is that we don’t have the monopoly of knowledge; we have so much to learn from you, and perhaps you have something to learn from us as well.” He concluded by saying, “May our relationship continue until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
In his closing statements, Pastor Jasper Flores, President of the South-Central Luzon Conference (SCLC), extended appreciation to all pastors in attendance. “It’s a great joy to be with our fellow pastors. It is our intention to exchange best practices and learn from each other to enrich our ministries.”
Forging Bonds
Pastor Israel Andoy, who was instrumental in inviting most of the clergy present, only praises God for the success of the gathering. As a retired ministerial secretary of NPUC, he has long carried the earnest desire to connect with his fellow pastors, especially those from other denominations. The instruction from the inspired writings of Ellen White to “manifest deep, earnest interest in their (clergy of other denominations) welfare and pray for them” he couldn’t simply ignore. Following his retirement, he committed himself to engaging with clergy organizations and establishing genuine friendships with pastors from other denominations. He said, “No harsh words, no debates, just breaking the walls and making friendships with them.” He expressed satisfaction that 34 of those present were returning attendees from last year’s PREACH seminar.
The pastors did not go home empty-handed, thanks to the initiative of the Ministerial Department to give books to all participants. Many also expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of holding a union-wide gathering for pastors of other denominations.
This article was published on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division news site.