A unified effort in global discipleship and evangelism took place in Butuan City from March 31 to April 6, 2024. Simultaneous evangelistic campaigns, organized by care groups from 22 districts, occurred at 88 sites across the area, resulting in a partial tally of more than 700 baptisms. Aligned with the General Conference's Global Disciple-Making and Evangelism initiative, this event aims to win and nurture souls for Christ until His return.
During the event, there were 16 administrators from various Adventist organizations who participated in the initiative. Among them were several union directors and North Eastern Mindanao Mission (NEMM) directors. For instance, Southwestern Philippine Union Conference (SwPUC) President, Pastor Jerry Patalinghug, was assigned to Butuan City Seventh-day Adventist Church. He delivered a message on health and family life, emphasizing the importance of practicing biblical principles for maintaining successful health and family relationships.
Pastor Jeramil Pamunag, the SwPUC Vice President for NDR-IEL, expressed hope for improving future campaign programs and thanked all administrators for their support, especially financially; moreover, Pastor Patalinghug hopes that the church members in Butuan City will continue to nurture the newly baptized members, remaining steadfast in their faith journey within the church.
Throughout the week-long event, the union administrators and directors shared heartfelt personal stories and expressed deep gratitude for its remarkable success. Their appreciation for the event's positive impact was evident as they praised the divine role in its fruition and commended the unwavering commitment of the local brethren who volunteered tirelessly. The community's collective efforts to spread spiritual enlightenment and enrich their surroundings were truly commendable. The care groups within the churches, which hosted nightly gatherings, played a vital role in extending invitations and laying the groundwork for attendance. In addition, each church ensured the comfort of attendees by providing complimentary meals and diligently following up after each session, fostering a sense of warmth and inclusion within the congregation. This display of collaboration is the church response to the Total Member Involvement (TMI) of the church in the Southwestern Philippines.
One recent baptism at Bangonay Adventist Church mentioned that she had previously attended three different local evangelistic events. The decision to be baptized was really tough for her. She struggled, nevertheless, to withstand the impact of the church speaker's remarks during the just finished fourth evangelistic meeting. She decided to be baptized because the nightly messages spoke to her. "This time, the power of the message has overwhelmed me."
This collaborative effort is planned to extend to other regions within the Southwestern Philippines territory and is expected to reach out to the entire area this year.
Quin Salarda, SwPUC Communication Department
The original article was published on the Southwestern Philippine Union Conference website.