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In Search of Moses — Finding DCBC's
Third Senior Pastor
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DCBC
has been without a senior pastor these last six years,
despite an intensive and prayerful search that ranged
ever higher and deeper. God with His unfathomable sense
of timing has finally chosen to give the church a permanent
under-shepherd again. Not two years ago, not one year
ago-but just this year, and just this February (a 'brand-new
mercy' as we turn thirty).
While
it is God alone who knows the future, we can at least
claim crystal-clear hindsight. We wondered, through
a glass dimly, these past years why He did not respond
right away. Now we know why. Since Pastor Bel is God's
answer to our prayers, we had to first wait for his
term as Asian Theological Seminary President to end.
In the meantime, though, our loving God used those years
for our good in many ways. Firstly, we discovered the
commitment and quality of our elders and deacons (and
deaconesses). In no way were they the 'hired men' of
the parable—they never abandoned the sheep—they
were our loyal and true Aarons (and Miriams) while we
had no Moses.
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Secondly,
we were able to enjoy a variety of preachers
and teachers of the Word. These were men (and
women) who gave us spiritual milk and meat,
nourishing our minds and our hearts with the
things of God. Pastor ("Manong Willie")
William Girao, DCBC's second and longest-serving
pastor (the distinction of being DCBC's first
under-shepherd goes to Pastor Gene Lara),
retired after minding the flock from 1983 to
2000. He is an OMF Literature author of note,
and a sometime lecturer at ATS. Not only did
Manong Willie continue to preach at DCBC after
his retirement, he also conducted the occasional
lecture series on various scriptural topics-The
Sovereignty of God in History, Being Faithful
to God No Matter How Difficult the Circumstances,
and The Mustard Seed Principle of the Kingdom.
He also held the occasional one-day symposium
that touched on a current burning issue. Two
years ago it was on the American war in Iraq,
last year it was on euthanasia.
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Pastor
William Girao
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Pastor
Minho Song
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Pastor
Minho Song, a professor at ATS while here
from Ontario, Canada under the auspices of OMF,
'adopted' DCBC and became our teaching/pulpit
pastor from 2002 to 2004. Pastor Minho was also
generous with his learning, offering us programs
of biblical instruction outside of the pulpit.
He is credited for starting what is now a DCBC
tradition, the annual Discovery Meetings. He left
the Philippines and DCBC to accept God's calling
to be senior pastor of his church in Ontario,
but his not-infrequent visits (twice last year-the
first with his family, the second time with the
"Elder Lees" from his church) may betray
a slight fondness for our congregation. Others
suspect that mangoes (Pastor Minho's favorite
fruit) are the real reason… especially since
mangoes are now in season and Pastor Minho is
scheduled to visit our pulpit again on April 30.
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Our
pulpit has also been blessed with regular guests
and frequent visitors. Pastor ("Kuya Caloy")
Carlos Novisteros, Sunset Service pastor for
twelve years running since it started in 1994,
the student congregation's tireless 'kuya' and
friend, often unwound his gentle narratives before
us, speaking of past and present ministry as if
telling childhood stories. Reverend Wilson
Dumelod, whose duties at ABCCOP (Alliance
of Bible Christian Communities of the Philippines)
prevented him from considering the full-time pastor
position, nevertheless frequently spoke a pastor's
guiding insight from our pulpit.
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Pastor
Carlos Novisteros
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Rev.
Mike Harrison
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Rev.
Dave Griffiths
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Reverend
Mike Harrison and Reverend Dave Griffiths
are DCBC's much-loved American and Welsh 'kuyas.'
Members of our congregation for many years with
their worthy wives ('Ate' Betty, and 'Ate' June,
respectively), they have readily and jovially
lent their 'imported' humor and wisdom to our
Sunday worship. Kuya Mike is also known to deliver
a sermon in fluent Tagalog, or bilingually, as
the congregation and occasion call for it.
Kuya
Dave's booming voice can also be heard in DCBC
away from the pulpit—having sung in most,
if not all, DCBC Christmas Cantatas. He
is also credited with almost single-handedly
boosting OMF
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Literature sales a few points, with his nursery rhyme-inspired
promotional jingles that "just pop up" whenever
he is near a microphone.
DCBC
elders Ed Vencio, Ken Villanueva, Mon
Rocha, Jess Espina, and Manny Portugal,
also did their part to keep our pulpit filled on Sundays.
Their messages and exhortations were especially inspiring
in that all of them are "homegrown" DCBC preachers,
having come full circle from being gawky freshmen, who
kept the faith by staying and growing with the church,
to part-time preachers when we were sheep without a
shepherd.
Alas,
while we could claim worthy brethren as fellow worshippers
in the English service, we could not claim a senior
pastor. Till now that is… for God has seen fit
to move Pastor Bel, as he contemplated retirement plans,
to accept DCBC's humble invitation to serve the UP Community
after ATS. We have a senior pastor. How truly sweet
it is to say… how wonderful to hear it said.
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by
M.E. Alforque
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