A Special Time For SG Philippines

An update from Dave York, Senior Pastor at Covenant Life Fellowship, Roseburg, Oregon, and Emerging Nations Representative to the Philippines…

One of the great joys of serving Sovereign Grace in the Philippines is seeing first-hand that the Lord of the Church is indeed building His Church. When Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He would build His Church and “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” He meant it, and what God is doing in the Philippines is a fresh reminder that He’s doing just that.

Our latest trip to the Philippines (October 7th-16th) was a historic trip for SGC, and it was a joy to work alongside faithful brothers on this trip.

Jeffrey Jo (Cross of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries in Cavite) being installed as an SGC elder.

Cornelio Ebo (His Dwelling Place Church in Cebu City) being installed as an SGC elder.

The historical part of this trip for SGC was the joy of installing Jeffrey Jo (Cross of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries in Cavite) and Cornelio Ebo (His Dwelling Place Church in Cebu City) as SGC elders. Jeff’s church was celebrating its 30th anniversary on the day of his installation, so that was a unique gift to attend. Seeing these brothers installed as SGC elders means establishing SGC Philippines can officially begin. It was remarkable to be present for this moment in our denomination’s history.

As part of establishing SGC Philippines, our major task on this trip was to do oral examinations for 15 ordination candidates. Over the past year, these brothers have studied, written papers, taken exams, and prepared themselves for the oral exams. We “crammed” these exams into 4 days which made for long, joy-filled days. The joy of talking with these men about their lives, their love for Jesus, and His church was an amazing experience. We built friendships through the exam process, and we faithfully went through the oral exams. I am happy to report that 10 of them passed. When we informed the men who passed, it was a unique privilege watching them celebrate with each other. Even the brothers who didn’t pass celebrated with the men who did. It was sweet and revealed remarkable grace in their lives. 

One of the interesting parts of this trip for me, personally, was the men who went with us from all parts of the globe. Lynn Baird (Gilbert, Arizona) first went to the Philippines on behalf of SGC in 1987. Since the late 1990s, Lynn has gone every year. The Filipinos call him “Daddy Lynn”, which reveals their love and respect for him. Lynn is the main player in SGC’s early development of relationships in the Philippines. Tony Walsh (Denver, Colorado) started going to the Philippines with Lynn in the mid-to-late 2000s. I was jealous to have these brothers go on this trip because I wanted them to see Jeff and Nilo installed as SGC elders. It is important for SGC not to forget our history and the brothers who helped build that history. This trip to the Philippines was Daddy Lynn’s last one (at least by his recent comments), and Tony said the same. So to have their last trip be the one when they witnessed the establishment of SGC Philippines was a remarkable gift from the Lord.

We also had international brothers join us. Dave Taylor and Riley Spring from Australia provided great leadership and encouragement. Dave serves us faithfully as our Global Missions Director (a big title for a huge candy lover). Dave has been a huge source of encouragement and insight in developing relationships in the Philippians.

Riley serves SGC Church in Parramatta, and he was our comic relief and a true “giant” among us. Riley was key in encouraging the ordination candidates and gave keen insights on areas where each brother could grow. Having these brothers along on this trip reminded me of the unity that only the gospel can provide. Here we were, in Manila and Cebu City, with Filipinos, Americans, an Australian, and a Brit, joyfully serving Jesus together and worshipping His great name. Human minds cannot conceive this type of unity and joy-filled work. 

Over the next few years, we are excited about what the Lord seems to be doing in the Philippines. There are another 15+ elder candidates that Jeff is preparing to go through the ordination standards. We are working on major translation work in Tagalog and Cebuano for the SGC Statement of Faith, 7 Shared Values, 7 Shaping Virtues, and website information. In March 2023, SGC Philippines will host a Pastors and Wives Conference in Manila for SGC pastors and wives from Asia Pacific. As you can see, the Lord is building His Church…and it is marvellous in our eyes. God is doing great work in the Philippines.