by Armie F. Jesalva
Pastor of Bible Baptist Church, Cebu City, Philippines, and National Director of International Baptist Network, Philippines
When Bible Baptist Church turned 50 in March 2007, I wanted to build upon what God had wrought in those 50 years, and thus was born IBN (International Baptist Network) Saturation Evangelism in the Philippines. The results are astounding, with 3,674,350 people having received the Lord in more than one fourth of the archipelago as of March 2013.
Bible Baptist Church began in 1957 with the dedicated efforts of the late American missionary Bob Hughes. The first worship service was held on the last Sunday of March 1957 in a small apartment space with 14 people present. Within two years the growing congregation required the renting of larger and larger spaces.
In 1964, the church purchased an 800-square-meter (8,600 square-foot) property in Tres de Abril where a two-story concrete building was constructed. In seven years, attendance steadily increased to 600 every Sunday and every available space in the building was occupied by people.
Fueled by a passion for souls and filled with a vision of hundreds of Filipinos regularly attending Sunday services, Bob Hughes boldly stepped forward in faith purchasing the present property on Katipunan St. with 2,050 square meters (20,500 square feet), and in 1972, a new 3,000-seat auditorium was dedicated.
In 1976, Bob Hughes succumbed to cancer, but death of the beloved missionary did not discourage or deter me or the church from steadily growing. And grow it did. The church now averages over 9,000 in attendance every Sunday. A children’s extension ministry provides a way to reach hundreds of children each week. It has a youth ministry ministering to over 450 young people every week. A young adults ministry composed of young professionals regularly organizes free medical/dental clinics and feeding programs all over the city and neighboring provinces.
Bible Baptist Church opened 32 satellite or extension churches around Metro Cebu that reach 1,500 people each Sunday. We have started and organized 392 other daughter churches around the archipelago and even in foreign lands. Indeed there was much to rejoice for in our 50th anniversary. To mark the celebration, we launched an evangelistic program in January 2007 with the goal to see 50,000 souls won to the Lord by Anniversary Sunday on March 25, 2007. Two weeks before the actual Anniversary Sunday, results from all the teams were tabulated and a great victory was announced: 55,555 souls were won in the three-month evangelistic effort!
The great victory made us realize that what could be done in Cebu City could be done in Cebu province and beyond. We were just trying to change the moral atmosphere of Cebu City, but God gave us a vision to change the whole country instead. Thus IBN Saturation Evangelism was born: to reach the whole archipelago with the gospel using teams that would go to barangay by barangay (district by district) and colleges and universities, town by town, province by province, island by island till all the Philippines was reached.
Undergirded by the government’s Moral Recovery program established by Presidential Proclamation #62 in 1992 and by the Philippine National Police Values Formation & Spiritual Transformation program, teams reached out to schools, barangay halls, and other public places where a whole-day Moral Recovery presentation was made. Societal ills like drug addiction, graft and corruption, disrespect for authority, immorality, and others were brought to the fore. But more important, a presentation was made of the only true and lasting answer to life’s deepest needs and desires: salvation in Jesus Christ.
In due time Cebu Province with its nine cities and 44 towns were covered by the saturation teams. The total number of people receiving the Lord as their Savior: 716, 224. From Cebu province teams moved to Bohol; then Siquijor followed by Negros Island. Panay Island with its four provinces — Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan — was then reached. Teams were then sent to Leyte Island, Romblon, and Palawan.
Since its launching in 2007, five years on the road, the following results have been recorded:
Cebu Island – 716,224
Bohol Island – 343,307
Siquijor Island – 19,110
Negros Island – 876,274
Panay Island – 733,166
Leyte Island – 405,655
Romblon Island – 88,321
Mindanao Island – 406,648
Small Islands Combined – 85,645
There is no turning back and the end is not yet in sight. With more teams and more material resources the reaching of the whole archipelago is doable. But we are racing with time and with the impending return of our Lord. Our earnest prayer, as our Lord did command, is that “the Lord of the harvest will send forth more laborers to the harvest.” More laborers would make for more teams. Our earnest expectation is that, with more teams, our God would “supply all our need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
As God leads on, IBN Saturation Evangelism is moving on by faith. Thank you for the prayers and encouragements.
I am glad to be part of a city with civic tenacity. But I am humbled and honored to be part of a college family with eternal tenacity in the race that really matters.