Offering Hope in the Philippines

Pastor Erl R. has been working with the Igorot (meaning mountain people) Tribal Group in the Philippines since 1998. Pastoring 12 women in a seemingly forsaken outskirt of Benguet Province, she helped pioneer a church for them, Jesus Christ the Chief Cornerstone Church (JCCC). Only 6% of the people in the Philippines are Christians, while 58% still practice paganism and animism.

The Church is successfully reaching the Igorot Tribe with the life changing message of the Gospel through ministries that provide both spiritual and physical support. They have a Church Building Project and a Feeding Ministry. The Feeding Ministry brings the Gospel to children and their families which helps them establish a relationship with Jesus. Most of the ministry workers that help with the food program are parents. If families are unable to come to the church for food, the ministry has a House-to-House extension that brings the church and gospel to them.

The Feeding Ministry also provides clothes, shoes and Christmas gifts for the children. The work on the Building Project is only 50% complete. There is so much more to be done on both the inside and the outside of the church. Even though progress is slow, the congregation has worked hard and God has provided for the ministry through the years. A tradition in the Philippines known as “Bayanihan” (the spirit of community unity, work and cooperation to complete a project) is vital to their community growth. Many bayanihan projects are helping the church get built in stages, since the average monthly income in the Philippines is $200.

The church continues to rescue hurting people from a life of paganism/animism. They have grown to a congregation of 90 adults with 30-40 children. Due to lack of transportation many walk to church. Even during the intense rainy season the average attendance is still 70-80 people. Please pray for Pastor Erl R. and the congregation as they demonstrate the love of Jesus in the Philippines.