Efren Miranda, President of the Philippine Advent Christian Conference, Inc. (BPACCI), has assessed the aftermath of the recent earthquake, which has damaged AC churches and the property of AC church members on the islands of Bohol and Cebu.
Efren was able to visit two churches in Bohol. He reports that the damage in Bohol is much more severe compared to that of Cebu. Efren’s visit also enabled him to provide comfort and encourage the churches during their worship service on Sunday. He plans to return this coming weekend to evaluate the third church in Bohol.
His report follows…
“Loay, Bohol Church
The front of the building appears to be alright, but when you look at the sides you can see how severe the earthquake has spoiled it. The many aftershocks that have continued to happen, have provided more damage. The parsonage, small structure beside the main building where Pastor Eden resides, is now utilized as a temporary worship center, as the main building could collapse at any time. The church has agreed to set demolition of the building before it creates further damage; especially, since there is still seismic activity every now and then. Yesterday (Sunday, October 20), we sensed quavering during the service in the morning and two more trembles still continue to the time of my writing to you (Monday, October 21). Power has been restored, but the problem of the community now is the supply of water.
Maribojoc, Bohol
In one of my recent reports, I mentioned the new ministry openings. One of them was an outreach of the Maranatha Christian Fellowship, Nasipit, Agusandel Norte and opened in Maribojoc, Bohol. When news spread about how the earthquake had shaken the municipality, I called Pastora Emma Rezabal, who informed me about the situation. I was not able to proceed to the area immediately, because it was isolated for two days due to landslides and broken bridges.
The photo shows the extent of damage the earthquake has caused to the building. They also told us about the heavy damage this place has suffered compared to that of Loay. This structure is newly built; in fact the inside furnishings were still ongoing. This new fellowship was just launched three weeks ago. Pastor Pastor Emma Salatan Rezabal requests any assistance that may be extended to the church. The people in this area suffer from lack of both water and electric supply.
Several of the Loay Advent Christian Church members’ homes have suffered partial damage and one the member’s houses was completely demolished. It is situated in the distance, so I was not able to take a photo of it. The transportation is limited due a good number of broken bridges. I spent much of my time travelling thru habal-habal (a single motorcycle), which are now collecting high rate of fares.
I was also short of time to go and take pictures of the houses at Maribojoc, but the pastor told me 13 members had their houses severely damaged by this calamity.
The ACGC Outreach Department is coordinating with BPACCI to assist churches and members in their recovery.”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.