Three longtime listeners of an Adventist radio program were among 15 individuals baptized Saturday, Oct. 10, following two consecutive evangelistic campaigns in Bogo City, Cebu, Philippines, one of the communities hardest hit by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on Sept. 30, 2025.
More than a year after the earthquake caused widespread destruction across northern Cebu, local Adventist congregations continue sharing the message of hope through evangelistic outreach, media ministry and personal connections with their communities.
The baptism followed two weeks of evangelistic meetings organized by the Adventist Church in Caduawan in nearby Tabogon, Cebu. Pastor Ildefonso Baquilabat, field secretary and stewardship director of the Adventist Church in East Central Philippines (ECPUC), led the meetings in Anonang Sur from Oct. 3 to 9, while gospel worker Nieljun Bercero conducted a similar campaign in Anonang Norte the preceding week.
While the meetings provided opportunities for individuals to respond to the gospel, the experiences of three participants demonstrated how consistent media outreach can nurture spiritual interest long before someone enters a church.
Years of Listening Lead to Baptism
Among those baptized was Willie, whose full name has been withheld, a regular listener of Jesus Is Our Hope, a nightly radio program broadcast on DYCM, a local Adventist radio station.
Willie began following the program in 2019. Over the years, the biblical discussions encouraged him to examine his beliefs, adopt biblical health principles and consider a deeper commitment to his faith.
“I started listening to the radio program back in 2019, and by 2020, I began observing biblical health principles regarding diet and other teachings,” Willie told Levi Clavis, one of the program's co-hosts.
Although he had listened for several years, Willie initially hesitated to visit an Adventist congregation. As his understanding of Scripture grew, however, he eventually attended the Adventist Church in Bogo and expressed his desire to be baptized.
He credited the radio ministry with helping him understand biblical teachings and make a personal decision to follow Jesus.
“If it were not for this radio program, I would never have known the truth,” Willie said. “I am deeply grateful for this program.”
Willie's experience demonstrated the long-term influence of consistent gospel broadcasting. What began as an evening routine of listening to the radio gradually became a journey of spiritual discovery that led him to a local church community.
Different Communities, Shared Convictions
Willie was not the only radio listener who decided to be baptized.
A married couple from Guadalupe, who had independently followed the same program, also joined the baptism. The wife is a retired teacher, while her husband works for the local government at Bogo City Hall.
According to Clavis, the couple and Willie did not know each other and lived in different communities. Yet their experiences followed similar paths, beginning with regular exposure to biblical teachings through radio.
“They do not know each other, nor are they neighbors,” Clavis said. “These two are from Guadalupe and are also followers of the radio program.”
After listening to the broadcasts, the couple visited the Adventist church in Guadalupe and requested baptism. Their decision was confirmed Thursday, Oct. 8, just two days before the scheduled baptism.
One of the spouses explained that the program's emphasis on Scripture had helped them develop confidence in their understanding of Adventist beliefs.
“The teachings we heard from the Adventist broadcasters were so clearly explained and well-supported by the Scriptures that we have long believed they represent the church instituted by God,” one of them said.
On Oct. 10, the couple joined Willie and 12 other individuals at the shores of Nailon, where all 15 publicly affirmed their faith through baptism.
Although they came from different communities and followed different spiritual journeys, the three radio listeners shared a common experience: consistent exposure to the gospel through media eventually led them to connect with a local congregation.
Connecting Radio Listeners With Local Churches
Beyond broadcasting biblical messages, the Jesus Is Our Hope ministry has made connecting listeners with nearby Adventist congregations an important part of its outreach.
Dejito, who is involved in the radio ministry, explained that the program regularly announces the locations of Adventist churches at the end of each broadcast. These include congregations central Bogo City and in upper Nailon and lower Nailon.
The announcements give interested listeners practical information about where they can worship, ask questions, receive Bible studies and become part of a local faith community.
This approach reflects an important principle of OneVoice27, the Adventist world church’s coordinated evangelistic initiative for 2027, which emphasizes connecting individuals reached through media with local churches where they can receive spiritual care and discipleship.
Rather than measuring the effectiveness of media ministry solely through audience reach, the initiative encourages churches and media organizations to help interested individuals take the next steps in their spiritual journeys.
“This is how every Adventist media program should be, as emphasized by the OneVoice27 initiative,” Baquilabat said. “We should not focus only on the programs we create, but on connecting viewers and listeners to the local church.”
The experiences in Bogo City illustrate how that connection can work in practice. Radio broadcasts introduce biblical teachings, while local congregations provide opportunities for personal interaction, spiritual growth and lasting relationships.
Dejito said the ministry has witnessed numerous instances of listeners visiting Adventist churches and requesting baptism over the years, although the program has not maintained a complete count.
He recalled an occasion when the influence of the broadcasts extended to an entire congregation after its pastor became interested in the biblical teachings presented.
“There was even an entire church before. It's because their pastor was the first one who was convicted,” Dejito said.
These experiences, he added, continue to encourage the ministry's volunteers to sustain their broadcasts despite the challenges of maintaining regular programming.
More Than Two Decades of Radio Ministry
The Jesus Is Our Hope radio ministry traces its beginnings to 2002, when the program first aired under the Cebuano title Kini ang Maayong Balita, or This Is the Good News.
In 2007, the broadcast adopted its current name, emphasizing the central message of hope found in Jesus Christ.
Today, Jesus Is Our Hope airs daily on DYCM from 6 to 7 p.m., continuing its mission of sharing biblical teachings with listeners across communities reached by the station.
Dejito also hosts a similar program every Sunday on DYKC in Mandaue City, extending the ministry's reach through another radio platform.
For more than two decades, the broadcasts have provided a consistent source of spiritual encouragement to individuals who may have limited opportunities or initial hesitation to attend church services.
Dejito said the testimonies of listeners who eventually seek baptism continue to strengthen his commitment to radio evangelism.
“It has always been my earnest prayer that God will continue providing the means for these radio ministries to continue,” he said. “Ever since these ministries began, He has always reminded us that He uses these programs every time listeners walk into churches' doors asking to be baptized.”
Sharing Hope Beyond the Broadcast
During the Sabbath morning service at Bogo Seventh-day Adventist Church, Baquilabat presented Willie to the congregation and emphasized the role of radio ministry in reaching individuals across different communities.
“The gospel indeed reaches people through radio evangelism, as proven by these precious souls who came from different places but arrived together at one church,” Baquilabat said.
Pastor Eliezer “Joer” Barlizo Jr., the first president of ECPUC, also underscored the significance of media outreach in supporting the church's evangelistic mission.
“This experience proves that digital evangelism reaches people that traditional methods cannot,” Barlizo said. “It only strengthens the authenticity of the OneVoice27 initiative.”
Although the ministry operates primarily through traditional radio broadcasting, its experience demonstrates a principle that also applies to digital evangelism: Media can introduce individuals to the gospel, but personal connections with local believers remain essential in helping them grow in faith.
For the Adventist Church in the Southern Asia-Pacific region (SSD), this approach forms part of a broader effort to integrate communication, media ministry, evangelism and discipleship into a coordinated mission strategy.
The baptisms also carried significance for Bogo City, a community that continues its recovery from the September 2025 earthquake. Amid the challenges of rebuilding, local Adventist congregations continue reaching out to their communities, offering opportunities for spiritual growth and sharing the hope found in Christ.
For Willie and the married couple from Guadalupe, their journey to baptism began years before the earthquake, through a radio program they faithfully followed. Their experiences demonstrate how sustained gospel outreach can lead to meaningful connections with local congregations, even when those relationships take years to develop.
As the Adventist Church prepares for OneVoice27, their stories offer a practical reminder that effective evangelism extends beyond producing programs and reaching audiences. It involves helping people move from hearing the gospel to understanding its message, connecting with a community of believers and growing as disciples of Jesus.
For three listeners in Bogo City, what began with a nightly radio broadcast eventually led to a public commitment of faith — a reminder that behind every broadcast is an opportunity to reach someone searching for hope, and behind every listener is a life that can be transformed through an encounter with Jesus Christ.
The original article was published in the East Central Philippine Union Conference website.