SePUM Culminates MJWG with 6,300 New Members Across the Territory
My Journey With God (Season 5) ended its 5-week episodes on the Sabbath of October 5 with live feeds from Davao City through Live! broadcast from the Hope Channel Davao studio. The program simulcast via AWR stations and the official digital platforms of all missions and institutions within the Southeastern Philippine Union Mission (SePUM) territory. It was the first-ever SePUM-wide production, converging all reports from all over the territory, collaborating all the resources and talents inside its unified jurisdiction, after barely nine months of existence as a bifurcated territory.
The live baptism reports from various locations, which had 6,300 precious souls, were anchored by the administrators of SePUM: Pr. Danielo Palomares, President, alongside Pr. Edwin Magdadaro, Executive Secretary, and Elder Laurence Lamera, our union treasurer. That day, the five presidents from its collaborative and advancing territories were in the studio: Davao Mission (DM) with Pr. Reynaldo Merin; Northern Davao Mission (NDM) with Pr Seth Suan; South Central Mindanao Mission (SCMM) with Pr. Welnie Miado; Southeastern Caraga Mission (SCM) with Pr. Jemsly Lantaya and Southern Mindanao Mission (SMM) with Pr. Nildo Mamac.
Dr. Jonathan Casio, President of Adventist Hospital Davao, was also present, and a live feed from South Philippine Adventist College provided insights into their MJWG involvement.
Working as front liners in collecting reports and interviews, SePUM directors were separately assigned to various missions with the communication directors’ permission. This coverage has boosted the crew’s expertise from 5 Hope Channel stations and off-studio sources, with the communication and broadcast equipment lent by God for the purposes of sharing the three angels’ message with the world.
According to statistics, MJWG viewers in the entire SePUM via Facebook and YouTube started with an average of 44,182 in week 1, increased to 65,210 from the 8th to 14th night, 68,635 in the third week, and 70,626 in the final stretch of presentations in weeks 4 and 5.
To summarize the gift of conversion and baptism in numerous locations, after hearing the message from their cellphones, projector screens, televisions, or even radio sets, the tally of baptisms was growing. Week 1 convinced 250 precious souls to dip into the waters as a sign of surrender to Jesus, our Saviour. Week 2 ended with another 397 new converts. As the revelation of truth became more intense in the third week, 880 individuals said “Yes!” to Jesus. Week 4 led 1,504 more souls to Jesus and became new church members. As the Holy Spirit mobilized each one to use their senses for the ministry, another 3,269 baptized renewed individuals joined God’s remnant church.
The nightly gatherings from churches, households, shanties, gymnasiums, classrooms, and other venues paid off. Commendable are the organizers and facilitators from the five missions, the elementary schools, Adventist high schools like Matutum View Academy, Sahmyook International School, and other lay-led learning institutions. South Philippine Adventist College and Adventist Hospital Davao also joined hands and spirit for this noble digital ministry, which had a total baptism of 6,300.
Pr. Louwayne Van Magdadaro of Davao City Filipino-Chinese Adventist Church and Ms. Ivan Mae Acob-Flores, secretary of the SePUM’s communication and youth departments, hosted the special coverage. They were among the four regular MJWG S5 hosts for the series, which aired from Hope Channel South Philippines studio at the Southwestern Philippine Union Conference (SWPUC) headquarters in Cagayan de Oro City.
Elder Rhoen Shane Catolico, SePUM Communication/PARL/Media Director, is grateful for the support of all digital missionaries and the singers of South Philippine Adventist College for providing heavenly music. To Ms. Cheryl Linao-Hodge, DM Education and Communication Director, for opening the doors for this venture. Sir Bjezrel Labajo, the Adventist Media Center – Davao production manager, and his team contributed to this first-ever SePUM-wide comprehensive and collaborative broadcast.
Mrs. Ellen G. White, a pioneer of the church, saw the factors of unity will be counted as an element for success in every situation for evangelism. She wrote: “Let not one man feel that his gift alone is sufficient for the work of God; that he alone can carry through a series of meetings, and give perfection to the work. His methods may be good, yet varied gifts are essential; one man’s mind is not to mold and fashion the work according to his special ideas. For the work to be built up strong and symmetrical, there is a need for varied gifts and different agencies, all under the Lord’s direction; He will instruct the workers according to their abilities. Cooperation and unity are essential to a harmonious whole, each laborer doing his God-given work, filling his appropriate position, and supplying the deficiency of another. One worker left to labor alone is in danger of thinking that his talent is sufficient to make a complete whole.” Evangelism, 104. (SePUM Communication)