The phrase “strategic churches” may mean different things to different people, but for the General Baptist Church in the Philippines (GBCPI) it means targeting and reaching strategic areas where there is currently no General Baptist presence. The dilemma that has plagued the Filipinos was not one of desire but of ability. Where would the manpower come from and the resources to make it possible?

The answer came in an unexpected way when a layman in one of our churches, who happened to work for a security company, offered to hire General Baptist pastors and assign them security details in locations where churches were needed. The security agency had a contract with The Philippine National Bank to assign security details to foreclosed properties all over the central Visayan island cluster and Mindanao.

Church leaders including Rev. Danilo Jamero (outgoing GBCPI moderator), Rev. Jerry Muring, and Dr. Abdon Canonoy (incoming GBCPI moderator) seized the opportunity and started a “Tent Making Ministry” based on this model. Now they had a way of providing a pastor, but what about the problem of property and eventually a building for the new church to utilize? The resourceful GBCPI leaders decided

that they needed to recruit their local associations and churches to join in this new church planting effort and launched the C.L.A.P. program – Church Lot Acquisition Project. The idea was to challenge local associations (districts in the Philippines), churches, and individuals to pledge support and pursue that support until enough was raised to purchase a church lot.

The first church started using this model was in the community of Pigcawayan in the province of North Cotabato. This was a community of nearly 60,000 people in an agricultural area similar to many of the churches already existing in the Philippines. Through the program a pastor was employed and assigned to duties in the area, pledges were received and sufficient money was raised to purchase church property and help the new church by providing roofing materials for their new facility. Success!

The next project was more challenging. This location was on Cagayan de Oro, the third largest city on Mindanao and a key industrial area. Five pastors were employed in Cagayan through the “Tent Making Ministry.” As a result, there are now four newly opened “house churches” meeting in the city. Time for phase two: C.L.A.P. At the 2015 General Assembly

of the General Baptist Church of the Philippines, Inc. pledges were received from the delegates to purchase 100 square meters, but the goal was 500 square meters or more. Land in Cagayan de Oro was expensive, yet great progress had been achieved. As of this writing GBCPI is still raising money to achieve the goal.

Recognizing the strategic location that Cagayan de Oro offered to the Philippine ministry and the great potential for growth in an untouched area of the island, General Baptist International Ministries (GBIM) asked if we could assist the project by offering a matching grant to the C.L.A.P. program, thereby giving even greater incentive to the pledge process and arrive at the goal sooner. The offer was accepted, and it was decided that a good portion of the 2015 Ed Stevens offering would be used to help make this new church plant a reality in partnership with GBCPI. Some parts of the offering would be reserved for future Strategic Church plants, perhaps in the Philippines or with one of our other national partners in an effort to help national churches plant churches in strategic ways. We applaud the leadership in the Philippines for such innovative and strategic leadership. By God’s grace they have looked a problem in the face and have found a way to overcome!

G E N E R A L B A P T I S T I N T E R N A T I O N A L M I S S I O N S

SEPTEMBER 2015 CAPSULE PAGE 1

SEPTEMBER 2015

“Christ tasted death for every man.” Hebrews 2:9

ReMarksAs I write these words, relief efforts are underway in Saipan after Typhoon Soudelor, the

strongest storm on the planet this year, caused widespread devastation. If you or your church have not already helped us in our relief effort then I would encourage you to immediately send a gift to Typhoon Relief, 100 Stinson Dr., Poplar Bluff, MO 63901.

On September 20, 2015, General Baptists will receive our Ed Stevens International Missions offering. Our theme for this year’s offering is Partnerships! GBIM has entered a phase, with many of our international fields, of developing ongoing, strong partnerships with national “leaders of leaders” and national General Baptist organizations as well. This year we want to develop more secure financial strength to continue our existing partnerships with select “leaders of leaders” as well as the ongoing development of future leaders.

We are also excited to partner with the General Baptist Church of the Philippines (GBCPI) and their church planting effort in the very strategic city of Cagayan de Oro, the 3rd largest city on the island of Mindanao. GBCPI is in an ongoing effort to raise money for the purchase of property in this strategic city, and we want to partner with them to make that happen! We will use part of this Ed Stevens offering to create a matching grant to assist GBCPI’s ongoing effort and to encourage and insure its success.

We have set an ambitious goal of $75,000 for this year’s offering. We pray that you will agree with us that these types of partnerships are essential to next level of development with some of our older mission fields and pray you will give generously. Thank you in advance for that generosity.

We also hope that you will take special notice of our new transition of leadership of our Mission One (MVP) program. Kris Yeomans will be staying with the program a little while longer to assist Dr. James Pratt as he assumes the Mission One Coordinator position. We are very grateful to Kris for the leadership he has offered the program and believe that Dr. Pratt brings ideas and skills to the program that will be able to enlarge and enhance an already great program.

—Mark Powell, Director

NON-PROFIT

ORGANIZATION

US POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 164

POPLAR BLUFF, MO

General Baptist International Ministries100 Stinson DrivePoplar Bluff, MO 63901

ED STEVENS DAY September 20, 2015

ED STEVENS DAY OFFERINGENCLOSED PLEASE FIND MY OFFERING

FOR ED STEVENS DAY.

AMOUNT: ___________________________

NAME:   _____________________________

ADDRESS: ___________________________

CITY:  _______________________________

STATE: ______________________________

ZIP:  ________________________________

Pastor Glenn and Pastor Abe by Fallen Tree in front of the Ed Stevens Student Ministry Center

SAIPAN: A BRIEF HISTORY  The oldest mission work that American General Baptists have been involved with began on the island of Guam in 1911. Through the years the work on Guam had its ups and downs, but from that work several other missions were started. Among them was the ministry on Saipan that began with the arrival of the Ed Stevens family (Ed, Gertie, Donald and David) in March, 1947.

Saipan belongs to a grouping of islands know as the Northern Marianas, which was under Spanish control until 1898. As a result of the Spanish American War the boundaries of the Pacific islands were redrawn so that Saipan was under German administration until after World War I when they were placed under Japanese control. After World War II the island group came under the control of the United States opening the door for expansion from our ministry on Guam to Saipan.

Charles Carr in his book Seed, Soil and Seasons states concerning the Stevens family, “The Stevenses were tested but their lives and ministry proved to be a source of inspiration and motivation for General Baptists far beyond anything they might have imagined.”

Through this ministry, Ed Stevens met a young Filipino man named Vicente Silencino. This meeting, ordained by God it would seem, eventually developed into our ministry in the Philippines. Ed Stevens was also instrumental in establishing the General Baptist work on Tinian and Chi Chi Jima – both an extension of his work on Saipan.

Historically the work in Saipan has been led by some of our giants in the faith – Minvil Clark, Juaquin Sablan (from Guam), Dr. Clifton Ford, Cecil Green, Mike Taitano, Harlan Webber, Charles Carr, Mack Williams, Stan Jones, Ben Porcadilla and Dwight Chapman, all served on Saipan among others. These are names that most General Baptists anywhere will recognize.

Ed Stevens would continue to serve this ministry until September 20, 1952

NEWS FROM ASIA FIELDAs I sit here praying today, “Seek

justice, love mercy, walk humbly with our God” (Micah) echoes in my heart. Months ago, I found myself in a Bible study on this topic with people from assorted nations. I brought up, “But what does it look like in a Hong Kong context?” I gave examples of my landlord, my building, my neighborhood and injustices taking place due to the poverty of the area. One person in the group said, “You just need to move.” I responded,” But what about my neighbors?” The response, “Let your neighbors take care of themselves, and you just worry about you.”

What did Jesus tell us about our neighbors? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbors as yourself.” I carried on the conversation for the entire train ride home. I was given the direct statement, “But if you are going to fight this battle you will have to go to law school, etc. You can’t do this by yourself.” I said in tears, “I shouldn’t have to. I belong to the church. And Christ didn’t call me to seek justice for my neighbors and his city alone.”

So my extended family in the USA, I ask you to pray about what it means to seek justice in education, and human rights (my personal passions), to seek justice in giving a voice to the voiceless, in feeding the hungry, in all things. All this while we love mercy and strive to show mercy to the offenders and show them the grace we have been given as we walk humbly with our God.

This means striving to make sure asylum seekers, domestic helpers (underpaid foreign housekeepers), and trafficked women sold into prostitution have a chance to be educated so they have the tools to rise above their circumstance. It means walking with them and making sure they not only know their legal rights but are connected with people who will defend their ability

to be covered with the same rights other residents have. Loving mercy means I pray for the persecutors’ redemption and strive to speak softly as He guides the process.

REV. JERRY MURINGIt has been the dream of the GBCPI

since the 1980s to reach out to Cagayan de Oro. We have considered the cost of pioneering work, including the financial support of the worker and some other expenses.

One of our members, employed as manager of a security agency operating on Mindanao and the Visayas, approached and shared with me about his passion to help the church planting program by hiring our pastors to work in his agency. I agreed and recruited pastors who are interested in “Tent Making Ministry.” We hired them with reasonable salary, assigned to all foreclosed properties owned by the Philippine National Bank.

Since they are assigned as watchmen, they can reach out within the community throughout the week . God has blessed this simple strategy. We have one organized church now located at Pigcawayan, North Cotabato. Our local church helped the congregation by purchasing the church lot and G.I. sheets for the church building.

The second one is in Cagayan de Oro. We employed five pastors there, and praise God there are now four House Churches there. Region 10 or Central Mindanao is very wide, populated, and progressive. Just recently another opportunity has been opened for us in Cebu City to start with same strategy. Please help us by partnering through the Ed Stevens Offering.

NEW MISSION ONE DIRECTORGeneral Baptists International would

like to announce the appointment of Dr. Jim Pratt as Director of the Mission One Program effective September 1.

FOREVER CHANGEDBy Dr. Jim Pratt

I accepted my calling into the ministry in the summer of 1981. Since then, I have tried to share the Good News of Jesus Christ tasting death for everyone with as many people as I could. For 25 years, I have had the support of my lovely wife, Kris. God blessed us 23 years ago with a lovely daughter who is married to a minister, and they are actively involved in sharing the Good News as well.

It was with my daughter’s urging that we went on our first international mission trip to Honduras in 2007. We were forever changed. Now, after eight trips to Honduras, two trips to the Philippines, and one trip to Saipan, I have the privilege of serving as the new Mission One Coordinator.

My desire is to expand on the accomplishments of past coordinators. I want to expand the number, types, and location of teams. My desire is to equip each team with adequate pre-trip training and post-trip follow-up. I will also work with the missionaries and nationals to help them know what to expect from the teams.

It is my dream to place college interns at each of our mission locations with the hope that many of them will become career missionaries. I will also assist in recruiting people approaching retirement to serve as short-term missionaries.

I am humbled to be selected for this opportunity to take the gospel to the nations. Pray for me as I challenge others to also become forever changed.

CHURCH LOT ACQUISITION PROGRAM

Dr. Abdon Cononoy, Moderator of General Baptist Church of the Philippines, writes, “Let’s C.L.A.P. for CDO Philippines. The Church Lot Acquisition Program (C.L.A.P.) of the General Baptist Church of the Philippines, Inc. (GBCPI) has been a blessing and an effective means of raising funds for the newly opened churches in the Philippines.

“Year 2015, the recipient of C.L.A.P. is the newly opened ministry in Cagayan De Oro (CDO) city. CDO is 100 miles away or 7 hours travel by land from Davao City – the place where GBCPI headquarters is located. There are two existing house churches in CDO, one is in the city proper, which has a regular attendance of 17 youth and adults, and the other is in the northern part of the city, specifically Baranggay Lumbia which has 40 regular Sunday worship attendance including the children.

“Pastora Neneng Vigor is the pastor in the heart of the city and Pastor Hilario Encipido is the pastor of Baranggay Lumbia.“This year, CDO church hosted the National Brotherhood Conference of GBCPI. The venue was in the gymnasium of Baranggay Lumbia where the house church is located. Baranggay Lumbia is a progressive place and growing in population because of the expansion of the subdivisions and villages. Mega Mall is newly opened and an airport also is in the location.

when he died on a ship en route to Guam for medical treatment. In memory of his death, the Sunday closest to September 20 has been designated as Ed Stevens International Missions Sunday among General Baptists, and our single largest International Missions offering is received on that Sunday.

General Baptists have enjoyed a long history and significant role in the Christian life of Saipan. This church, like most others, has enjoyed some great days as well as some days of difficulty. But, to this day, continues to be an honored and cherished work for General Baptists.

Today our ministry in Saipan is being impacted by the aftermath of Typhoon Soudelor – the most powerful storm on the planet in 2015 and the most violent storm to hit the island of Saipan in recent memory. While there were no deaths attributed to Soudelor on Saipan, it left a trail of destruction that has left hundreds without shelter. According to interim pastor Glenn Jenkins, nine General Baptist families lost their possessions and others suffered a range of damages. Our old (WW II) vintage generators have proven to be unreliable even when fuel is available to run them. The Saipan Community School (a ministry of Saipan Community Church) could not start the school on schedule, and enrollment is down due, in part, to the reality that the economic situation of the island has been severely affected by Soudelor.

We want to encourage you to pray for and show your support for Saipan! We truly do honor and cherish the work God has entrusted to us on this island. We not only need prayer and support for Saipan, we desperately need a pastoral family who will take the reins of leadership for this great church. Pray for their recovery and pray for God to call someone to take on the exciting challenge of a very multicultural work on this island territory.

Page 2 SEPTEMBER 2015 CAPSULE

MISSION HIGHLIGHTSMISSION HIGHLIGHTS

SEPTEMBER 2015 CAPSULE PAGE 3