PHILIPPINES | ORO BIBLE COLLEGE

The following report was recently sent to Rev. Jeff Walsh, the World Outreach Director at ACGC …

“Dear Jeff,

Greetings in Jesus Christ, the one we both love and serve.

Thank you very much for the funds to comply with the Bureau of Fire requirements. Yesterday, a representative of the manufacturer and installer came to collect the tanks of fire extinguishers for refill and when they come back they will also bring the other needed items OBC ordered. The repairs on the doors will start on the weekend. At least when the fire Marshall come, maybe this week, the fire safety equipment are already installed and work on the repairs is underway. I will send a full liquidation report after all the repairs are done.

I am thankful to the Lord for helping us and directing us in facing the challenges that every now and then emerge as we continue with our ministry here at OBC. In my previous report to you, I told you that Reniel was advised by his doctor to take a leave of absence in his teaching because he needed to rest. Upon learning that, I started communicating to you, to them at New Zealand, to Jeff and Penny and to significant others, most especially the OBC Board. We had a contingency plan for the situation.

But then, when classes started, Reniel’s medical report showed an improvement in his condition. His triglyceride went down to 199. So upon advice from his doctor, he decided to continue taking up his regular load of teaching and administrative duties. We arranged some of his teaching load as reading classes, and I am giving him as much possible time to rest. In his recent checkup though, his triglycerides went up again, 1,234. His doctor is helping him to lower it again. I am hoping for some improvement in his next checkup.

Reniel and I talked about him go through an executive checkup either in Manila or Cebu. He discussed it with his doctor. The doctor’s advice is for him to do it right here in Cagayan de Oro since we now have hospitals that are equipped and his doctor is also here. He could go to Capitol University Medical City or to Maria Reyna-Xavier University Hospital or to Cagayan de Oro Medical Center or to Polymedic Medical Plaza. Reniel is willing to do that, the only problem is money. Two weeks ago, his son had dengue and was hospitalized at the Polymedic Medical Plaza for one week. Praise the Lord Elisha Grant came back home well and did not even need to have blood transfusion.

We praise the Lord for the second semester of this school year. We have 21 students enrolled for the AB Theology and 13 students for the Certificate of Biblical Studies program. Our preschool is the same, 34 students from the first semester.

This is the Greek class of Pastor Jess Gawangon. He is holding class at classroom number 2 – concrete building.

Evangelical Theology class taught by Pastor Reniel Comajeg. The class is held in the chapel.

The Certificate of Biblical Studies is a community extension program offering theological education to lay leaders and practitioners in the ministry who do not have a Bible College degree recognized by PABATS and CHED. The purpose of this course is to provide preparation and training for those already in ministry but lacks theological education qualification.

Curriculum:
1. Evangelical Theology (Systematic Theo I)      3 units
2. Survey of Bible Background and Message      6 units
3. Hermeneutics                                                  3 units
4. Biblical Languages                                          6 units
A. Hebrew
B. Greek
5. Homiletics                                                        3 units
6. Church Administration and Leadership           3 units
7. Historical Theology                                          3 units
9. Christian Counseling                                       3 units
10. Evangelical Theology (Systematic Theo II)   3 units
Total                                                                 36 units

The proposed course is to be taken for 2 years with three courses offered every semester. But at the rate the JIA leaders and pastors are going, they could only carry a load of two courses every semester. So, one of the things the faculty and staff discussed is to structure two courses as seminar and maybe taught by a local or foreign professor. We will finalize this one before the second semester ends.

The difficulty of the students from the JIA is that they are all working professionals and pastors in the church. They are busy with their work and ministry in the church.

The offering of the certificate in biblical studies has caught the attention of Advent Christian church leaders, particularly Maranatha Bible Church. It challenged them to see the enthusiasm and passion of the JIA leaders and pastors to obtain Bible College training. Some have expressed desire to also enroll for the next semester. The students taking this course are not primarily interested to get a Bible College degree, but they are more desirous of the teaching and formal training they could get. But we intend to apply transfer of credit if ever a qualified student decides to get the degree later on.

Another thing that we praise the Lord for is the children’s Saturday Bible class of 13 graduates of the OBC preschool. Sometime in December, a little girl who graduated from our preschool begged her mother to bring her to OBC because she wanted to learn from the Bible. According to her mother this child does not consider herself Catholic but a Christian because she graduated from OBC. So the mother accompanied the girl along with her cousins and neighbors she invited to ask for a Bible class on Saturday afternoon. Upon knowing this, Amy Gawangon, the teacher for Kinder 2 coordinated with the NSTP class of Maam Minda Lipanta. Since then, the first year students teach these children every Saturday before they go to their Ministry Skills assignment. It took years to finally touch the lives of the non-Christian parents of the children, and now it is the children who pleaded with their parents to attend Bible classes from the College. Below are the pictures of the children’s class. The girl wearing stripe shirt (black and white) is the one who pleaded with her mother to bring her to OBC and requested for a Bible class. She brought with her cousins and neighbors. Her cousins are also graduates of the OBC Preschool.

These are the children attending the children’s class held on Saturdays.

A first year student leading the children in prayer

OBC students teaching them memory verses

The children with their student teachers and Maam Minda and Maam Amy. All these children including those who were absent when the picture was taken have accepted the Lord on the first session for their Bible class

Teaching the children action songs

Please pray for the graduating AB Theology students this year. There are four graduating students: ElMark Compra from Patrocenio Advent Christian Church, Ericson Bucio from Loay Advent Christian Church, Loay, Bohol; Jenilyn Dilag from Malitbog Advent Christian Church; Ailyn Khor Baclay from Mount Olive Presbyterian Church Bukidnon.

Five students will also go out on their internship by June this year. Eric Evasco of Sta. Cruz Evangelical Church (Plaridel, Misamis Occidental); Fernando Relatado of Lord Jesus Our Righteousness group of churches; Gaylie Morala of International One Way Outreach; Sarah Tuico of Mount Olive Gospel Church of Lantapan, Bukidnon and Charmina D. Takiang of Mindagat Advent Christian Church, Bukidnon.

Thank you so much for the verse that you shared in your email. I am also encouraged to go on and continue the work that has been given to me because God is always there to help and guide.

Joanne Comahig, Pastor Billy’s wife has given birth to their son, so she asked to be substituted for her class on Information Technology. Since my son Jr. is the technical support personnel of OBC (doing computer maintenance) I recommended to the Board to ask him to be the facilitator for the class while the teacher, Joanne Comahig is on maternity leave. After Jr. graduated from Xavier University he decided to take up a second course in computer. He graduated with a Diploma in Computer Technology at Xavier and now he is on his second year of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at COC. We discovered he is a good teacher. I did not look for a fulltime substitute teacher for the course because then it would be another addition to the budget. We pay him as part –time. His teaching assignment will end in March.

Forgive me for my long report. Thank you very much for your leadership and support to us at OBC. Please extend our thanksgiving also to the churches and officers of ACGC for all their support to us in prayer and finances. Please also pray for our trip to Claveria AC Church for the promotion (OBC Sunday) on February 7, 2016. Eric Evasco, a third year student will be preaching, Pastor Billy will officiate the communion and Pastor Reniel will induct the officers of the church council to their office and ministry.

Love in Christ,
Nely Gamayon