Filipino Ministry
                    J. C. Ang
                                    Coordinator
                     June, 2007

GOOD-BYE FROM JOSIAH

MI ULTIMO ADIOS (HULING PAALAM)

My last farewell… J.C. Ang

I initially wrote this in Filipino because I would have expressed it better, but I was told it must be in English for the benefit of all:

Perhaps you must have heard that I am leaving the Filipino ministry work of this Church. We decided with Rev. Dart that it would be better for me to be closer to my two teenage daughters who have excused themselves to be worshipping with us for they cannot relate to anybody because there are no teens like them here. If you remember, I brought them in the early months of my ministry; nevertheless, I couldn’t persuade them to stay and leave their dozens of friends in their former church.

This, too, was a problem in the 3 ½ years I was serving here: Not all came to the Sunday Coffee Hour or the Friday Evening Bible Study for various reasons. I, myself, stopped inviting because of the futility of the exercise. It was good we had the Friday Studies, which brought some together, in discussing spiritual issues and in praying together; one miserable happening occurred, but it had to happen anyway. The question now is what do most of you want for the Filipino ministry to come alive and vibrant? Can we all help one another so we can achieve success in our Filipino ministry?

Now that I am moving out, I have a suggestion for all: Do you know that the PC( USA ) is being served by some 700 CLP (Commissioned Lay Pastors) since 1999? These are elders of the local church in the likes of Lito Arciaga who answered the call to serve. About 7% of corporate PC(USA) is being served by these laymen and they are not even ministers. This solution came out of the fear that PC(USA) will continue to lose its membership as it has already lost 2.2 million since 1965, consecutively.

Who among you will come out first and join the bandwagon? Join and serve. Farewell and Mabuhay, Kabayan!

 

 

Luthgarda Orteza-Lee

On post Mother’s Day, we have invited Luthgarda Orteza-Lee to speak before out congregation on one of migrant’ tough issues that deals with the Americanization of teenagers. In fact, she has created a program designed to meet the needs of these youth following patterns from her recent book, Culture Clash: The Americanized Teenagers, Implications for Parenting, Teaching and Mentoring

(2005). She is also currently doing seminar-workshops on the same subject for multi-ethnic communities using her cultural diversity curriculum modeled after various children’s literature.

Luth or Lutie was a schoolmate during my Silliman University years in the 1970’s. We have worked closely together as student leaders when we were both elected to S.U. Student Government representing our respective colleges. She has since been a friend.

Lutie has an M.A. in Religious Education (Claremont School of Theology) and another M.A. in Bicultural Development ( Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena ). Her B.S.E. in Elementary Education ( Silliman University ) was earned in 1971. From there, she became the youth pastor of Emmaus United Church in Covina , CA and Coordinator for Children’s Ministry of the United Church of Christ in Simi Valley , CA . Currently, she is the Religious Education Consultant of the Arcadia Congregational Church in Arcadia , CA and prides herself as an active member of the United Church of Christ S. Ca and NV Conference (UCCSCNC).

She is a life member of the California Teachers Association, The California Association of Bilingual Educators, and the Filipino Educators Association. She was past president of our S.U. Alumni Association of S. CA where Elsie Directo, Rose Baladad an myself are active members. Let’s all welcome Lutie into our fellowship on May 20, 2007 .

 

Ms. Lee is a multi-cultural expert and the author of She holds masters degrees in Bicultural Development and Religious Education. An educator for almost 30 years, she taught in the Philippines , Taiwan , Hawaii , New York and California . She also leads workshops in parenting Americanized teenagers. You can contact her at lutieolee@gmailcom.

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UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THE PHILIPPINES STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION

by, Orlando Jaug
April, 2007

In a recently concluded quadrennial convention of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (Presbyterian Church) held in Dauao City last May 2006; the UCCP was further restructured to meet the pressing need of the changing times.

The Philippines is geographically divided into three major regions: Luzon , the Visayas, and Mindanao . To the best of my knowledge and recollection, these regions are further subdivided into two sub-areas; in Luzon we have the northern and southern Luzon . In the Visayas, we only had one before, but because of the urgent necessity and need, the delegates added one additional sub-area. We now have the eastern and western Visayas regions. Lastly Mindanao remained the same with the retention of northeastern Mindanao and the southwestern Mindanao . The UCCP is still governed by the National Assembly headed by a bishop in the person of the Rev. Bishop Bolocon who was elected last May 2006 in Dauao City with a four-year term and no re-election. All told there are now six jurisdictions representing each area; headed by bishops also with a four-year term, under the six jurisdictions and 44 conferences ministered by a conference minister with a two-year term with one re-election.

Each conference has an average of 30 church members both two - four worshipping congregations whose members must be more than 25 families.

In our conference, the lowland cavite of South Manila Conference we have 39 regular church members and six worshipping congregations.

I had the privilege of being a delegate on the last two conventions; one held in Silliman University in Dumaguete City in 2002 and the last one, which was held in May 2006 at the Brokinshire University in Dauao City .

Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank PPC for their generosity in helping our church, and further thank our friends, especially Lito Arciaga and friends in helping construct our pulpit and two ministers church. My wife, Lolita informed me that this coming Easter Sunrise Service will be held at the reconstructed church, although not completely finished, I’d also like to take this opportunity to bade all you wonderful people goodbye as my scheduled return flight is on April 19, 2007 .

Thank you!

 

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