THE LOAKAN BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORY on her 56th anniversary

Edited from the Original by Roldan Egmin Caroy on Monday, December 10, 2012

. . .” the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore ,

to send out workers into the harvest field.”

(Matt. 9:27)

 

Yes, God is the Lord of the harvest.  By this, we give Him honor and thanksgiving on our 56th anniversary. God has used many people, many workers, many circumstances and opportunities to accomplish His work. He has sent workers into His harvest field in Loakan . . .

 

It was sometime in the late 1940’s and the early 1950’s that the seed of the work was planted through the ministries of the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE).  Missionaries including Rev. Alfred Conant, Rev. Jerome Casner and family, and the Baguio Baptist Church pioneered Bible classes and children’s Sunday school in what is known today as Puroks Ongasan and Mangga in Loakan Proper.

 

A small group of believers were organized and started to hold regular meetings and Bible classes, first in homes like those of the Cuilan and the Pedro Palispis families.  Later, worship services were held in a makeshift chapel made from donated materials including galvanized iron roofing by the late Mr. and Mrs. Hopewell.

 

The beginnings of the Loakan Baptist Church experienced its share of difficulties and persecutions.  Many of the local people whose paganistic traditions and practices were ingrained in daily living and family life did not readily accept the Word of God. The early believers could remember how their pews would be hang on trees by those unsympathetic to the faith. Also, for a period of about five years after the Conants left, the work seemed to come to a halt.  Inspite of the circumstances, there were those who persevered in the faith.

 

In 1956, Rev. Jerome Casner and Pastor Ansen Valentin started the baptism of new believers.  Formal worship and evening services and the remembrance of the Lord’s supper were started.  Before Rev. Jerome Casner and his family returned to the United States, the believers drafted their church constitution. The group then became known as the LOAKAN BAPTIST CHURCH.

 

By 1958, the makeshift chapel was transferred to a lot located on a hill overlooking the Airport or what is known today as Maryhills. The piece of property was donated by the late Mr. Ngamoy Sacay, an elderly who faithfully attended church. Again, unbelievers scoffed at the small chapel and would call it a “chicken coop” but the believers did not “chicken out” but continued to follow The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

 

In 1970, a wider lot was donated by Mr. Sacay on which the present church building now stands.  Construction started with a little less than P 5,000.00 on hand and with the leadership then of Pastor Felix Bigornia and a few deacons, the church building was put up.

 

Through the years, the expansion of the church building took place on all sides. Sunday School rooms to accommodate a pre-school was built on the eastern side of the church building under the pastorate of Rev. Larry Domingo.  Church members donated and loaned their money to augment the meager amount that was available to finish the project.

 

In 1990, an adjacent 500 sq.m. lot was bought by the church and annexed to the church frontage.  During the same year in July, a killer earthquake hit the City of Baguio and its suburbs.  The church building sustained considerable damage when the southern portion of the building eroded and the wall collapsed. God’s provision was once again made evident through the gifts from His people, friends and members from here and abroad.  Repairs were undertaken not long thereafter.

 

Again in 1998, under the pastorate of Pastor Graciano Saugen, additional Sunday School rooms and a multi-purpose hall were annexed to the western side of the church. This was to accommodate the growth of the pre-school and the Sunday School classes.

 

More important than the growth in property and improvement in physical structure, the Lord added to the number of believers each year.  From a handful of believers, hundreds if not thousands of lives have been touched by the ministry of the Loakan Baptist Church.  The church has brought the gospel not only to the local residents but to the different parts of Baguio and Benguet like Happy Hallow; Antamok Mines; Balatoc Mines; Camp 1; Camp 6; Loacan, Itogon; Daklan; Apalan; Guisset; Beckel; and Gumatdang. Furthermore, extending to the neighboring provinces like Bacnotan and Burgos of La Union; And, Lubo of Kalinga, Apayao. Daughter churches were established like the Happy Hallow Baptist Church; Balatoc Christian Fundamental Baptist Church; Community Fundamental Baptist Church in Loacan, Itogon; Camp 6 Baptist Church; Harvest Baptist Church in Bacnotan, La Union, and The Living Word Fundamental Baptist Church in Apalan-Guisset.

 

Through the years, God in His infinite wisdom, provided workers too many to mention in this piece of written history just so to accomplish His own purpose in the harvest field.

 

At present the church has around 300 members led by Ptr. Ruben Huyo being the Senior Pastor, Ptr. Geru Sardina as the Associate Pastor beginning year 2009 and Ptr. Lemuel Pay-an, who was recently designated as the Youth Pastor. The church has also absorbed and commissioned Ptr. Hubert Caroy as a Missionary Pastor last year 2011, since he has started mission work in places that of Apalan, Guisset, Cubabeng, Beckel and Gumatdang. His family also have been instrumental in supporting and assisting him, as he continues to evangelize and share the gospel of Christ to places who needs to hear the Hope that is in Christ Jesus. The church has been also given the burden to help in Vigan and commissioned Ptr. Nero and Penny Misajon year 2011 under the supervision of Ptr. Huyo.

 

This year, Ptr. Lowell Achedera was then also called to be the Pastor in Daklan, continuing to reach the lost souls and edify believers in the locality. The church has then decided as well to hand-over the work of the Lord in Burgos, La Union to our fellow Bible Baptist believers who are near the vicinity as it profits nothing competing with other Christian groups; Therefore, focusing more to God’s leading toward open doors of opportunity in sharing the Word of God and the Gospel to other unreached places. It has also been a great mileage and celebration as the Christian Education Center has reached it’s 30th Foundation Anniversary this year.   

 

The church continues on as the Living Body of Christ in the locality of Loakan through the given regular church services, prayer meetings, home and school bible classes, Sunday school, home visitations, the church arms – AWANA, AFC, Young Adults Group, Ladies Fellowship and Men’s Fellowship, music ministries, the Christian Education Center, Parents’ Bible classes and counseling sessions.  All  the activities are aimed to proclaim the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to them who are lost and edify or build the believers into becoming like Christ. 

 

The church also sends and supports local and foreign missionaries; Continues to support Bible School students, currently to name Mr. Roujay Balagot and Ms. Sharon Sison; And, even support volunteers who desire to be used in the ministry, currently to name Ms. Jochebed Caroy undergoing training in “Goducate.”  

 

Through some 56 years, God has amazingly and tremendously blessed the Loakan Baptist Church!  Truly the Lord of the harvest is faithful and worthy of our praise and thanksgiving!

 

Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your Name be  glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children.

May you be blessed by the Lord, The Maker of heaven and earth.

The highest heavens belong to the Lord, But the earth he has given to man.

It is not the dead who praise the Lord, Those who go down in silence;

It is we who extol the Lord, Both now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord.

(Psalm 115 :1, 14-18)

My Supporting Arguments towards Death Penalty

At this time, there is a great debate within our nation regarding this matter, whether our nation should have this law or not. And, personally I do support this law and these are my thoughts, arguments and answer to some arguments I’ve heard.

First, in terms of the Christian Faith, this law is not against the Christian belief. I, as a Christian, DO NOT support killing / murder, BUT what I support is the law implementing Death Penalty (punishment by death given a proof without any doubt that a suspect has truly committed the crime). Now, there is a difference from simply “killing” to “giving a punishment of death” to a person who committed crime. Some would think there is no difference and would argue that it is not man’s right to take a life but God alone, referring to the God of the Bible. If we go to the Bible, we do find God’s commandment: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13), BUT if we go to Deuteronomy 20:16–18, we find God commanding Israel to completely destroy other tribes. We also would read in Lev. 20:10 "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.".. Now, that seem to be contradicting but if we look at it in a different perspective unlike most people do, they don’t contradict. Because God’s commandment not to kill or not to murder is a command towards an individual person acting in his own decision / free will representing his own personal selfish motive whereas the other verses are God’s command to a nation to act in accordance to the pursuit of God’s own standard for order, peace and as God sees it to be for the good of the nation.

Second, let’s go to logic or common sense. If we are to choose not allowing death penalty in our country just because of the understanding that it is only God who takes life to the extent that even the worst of all criminals can’t be given this verdict, then the nation should stop recruiting soldiers, because soldiers have no choice but to kill when in the line of battle. It would be unfair for soldiers being placed in such a situation where they have no choice but to kill for the sake of defending the nation as well as defending their life. Well, I know that’s an absurd thinking because having no soldiers for the country will simply invite the nation’s destruction. My point is having no death penalty is just like the same as a country having no soldiers to defend the country.

Now, let me lay my thoughts about the other reasons why people do not agree on death penalty. If I would think about it, the number one reason is connected in the faith of people, namely the Christian Faith. But as I’ve shared early on, the “Christian Faith” itself is not against death penalty. Within the Christian Faith, there is division on how one believes regarding the matter. And sadly, those who are in power are the only ones more of being heard via media, claiming it to be all in the name of God. But in reality it is a twisted idea or concept if one looks and studies the Bible. And I would re-iterate the fact that it is God who really authored this kind of penalty from the very start when He said to Adam and Eve "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)

Some would say or argue that this kind of God’s commandment is just for the Old Testament time. But shall we consider the Christian belief that God is unchanging (Psalm 102:27, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8). This will contradict the argument that God’s commandment is just for the Old Testament. Furthermore I could point to verses like Rev. 21:8 or Matthew 25:41 where God gives judgment like that of the death penalty. Furthermore reading Romans 13:1-7, we find God’s instruction about God blessing / giving the authority to the government to be the agent for peace and order. Therefore making laws that promote peace and order; And, enforce justice even in terms of giving the kind of punishment for the good of the nation. This is the Government’s responsibility. But, this doesn’t mean God agrees on everything the government decides on. Just reading the history of Israel gives a picture of how imperfect the government is, and we find that if the leadership is in line with God’s ways and principles, then the nation is blessed. But when it goes against God’s principles or laws, then the nation is cursed. Just like the issue about allowing same sex marriage which is surely an abomination to God’s law and principles, see how God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Nevertheless, that’s not the issue here that I wish to talk about. This is just one of the issues the government is dealing with and if the government fails to decide rightly, instead of promoting peace and order, the government can go to a direction of promoting disorder and confusion.

Some would say that religious belief should be separated from the Government quoting the “separation of church and state”. But I would have to ask, what makes the government? Or when we talk about the constitution, how did the constitution came to existence? Didn’t these things come from people itself who has diversified beliefs and culture? No matter what we say or do, our laws are based on what we believe. And basically, what we believe as what is right from what is wrong. For one thing, the Philippines declares itself to be the only Christian nation in the orient, therefore if that’s the case, our beliefs of what is right and wrong would be based on the Bible. Therefore, it would be logical if the government or constitution would base their laws on the Bible. The problem is, Philippines no longer have one religion but many which really also contradicts the law itself mentioning “the church” which is actually pointing to the Christian Religion. So what then? If I remember it right or if my sources are right, the constitution or the form of government Philippines have embraced is based from the US government who is originally founded by the Christian community. And the origin of the “church and state separation” was made in order to protect the church from being controlled or dictated by government. Now? It has somewhat changed its meaning. Nevertheless, I think the point I wish to assert is that the when it comes to order, peace and harmony of the nation, this is the government’s goal and focus. Whereas the church, though partly it promotes order, peace and harmony, her (the church) main goal is actually to deal with what Jesus has been teaching and prioritizes the Great Commission. In other words, the church and state does have boundaries that ought to be respected and each institute ought not to overlap boundaries. But with the diversified views and belief of people within the nation, surely this issue will be a long debate which might never end, unless only if the nation unites in one belief or view.

One of the arguments I’ve heard amongst the anti-death penalty, is that they declare that such law is an anti-poor which claims to serve only the elite or those who have money. And their basis is past experiences which I doubt if it serves a logical basis. This argument is also accompanied by the statement that innocent people might be placed on death row. The problem with these arguments is that these are not a result or caused by having a death penalty but a result of weak justice system. If they use the argument that such law is an anti-poor law (meaning those who have no money can’t defend themselves well), wouldn’t that be the same as all other laws given? It does no difference to people who are sentenced to life imprisonment, whether they are poor or not. And to argue that what if innocents are placed in death row is not an issue of the penalty but of the people who are corrupted by greed and of bias judgment. These kinds of thinking just prove that people don’t trust the fairness and justice in our nation. Therefore means, it is not an issue of the penalty but of the justice system this nation provides.   

With all these arguments, I’ll end with these verses:

"For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:3-4, ESV)