This spring, two congregations gathered for a special service that would recognize them as a district: the Haven Company and the United Filipino Mission group.
In a special service, members shared the history of each congregation. Vinh Nguyen, Asian/Pacific Region director, spoke about the new district and dedicated Edbert Carceler as the pastor who will serve both congregations. Carceler, who has been serving as the pastor of the Haven company, then spoke to attendees.
Jeanette Baron, from the United Filipino group, accounted her experience with congregation dating back to the year 2000. She returned years later to see that the congregation had grown and was in a different location. “This is the United Filipino church I want to introduce to you, which is full of loving, active, and talented members,” she said. “We are still growing and blooming for Jesus.“
Luz Montesa, from the Haven company, also gave an overview of their congregation’s history. In 2018, a Bible study started with 12 people soon after Carceler had returned from six months of evangelism in the Philippines. The group grew and grew, until it was organized as a company in 2023. “We were also adopted by a church, but now we are trying to adopt another church [into] to Pastor Ed’s pastorate,” she said. “I hope to continue our faithfulness to our Lord.”
Nguyen spoke to the two congregations about the district formation. “We group churches together to have a district because we want, number one: no group should have no shepherd, and number two: church should be full time and take care of many churches,“ he said, asking the congregation how many churches one pastor could have in the Philippines, to which the members answered, “19 churches!”
Before Carceler’s installation as the district pastor, Nguyen offered a word of encouragement. “When Moses gave the tremendous task to Joshua, I can imagine Joshua [was] very fearful,” Nguyen said, as he affirmed Carceler with the promise found in Joshua 1:8 that God would reward his faithfulness.
Carceler then spoke about Elijah and the high calling and responsibility of ministry. “When Elder Vinh said that it is more responsibility, I tried to just nullify that and never mind it,” he said. “Now I have to be thankful because the Lord had doubled the manpower and the spirit that these two churches can help together, so that we can continue to preach the great Gospel Commission so that Jesus will come.“
“What I can say is, ‘Lord, here am I, and here we are,’” Carceler said. “Wherever You lead us, we will go. And that would be the motive of the preaching. Every time I am here, we are commissioned to move forward. We are commissioned to go.“
