METHODISM IN MINDANAO
A
Historical Account of the Mindanao Central East District
By:
REV. JERIC C. CORTADO, 2007
During the American regime, the
American missionary introduced the Evangelical Christianity to the Filipinos.
They desired to show the relevance Christianity to daily life, and they did it
through a ministry of preaching, teaching, and serving. Envisioning a Protestant church that is
self-directing, self-supporting, and self-propagating. The Protestant work in the
Philippines was preceded by careful preparations of a united approach which
resulted for the formation of the Evangelical Union in the Philippines in 1901.
One of the main efforts of the Evangelical Union was to divide the country into
territorial areas, in which, each denomination could work, called Comity
Agreement. The Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, United Brethren,
Congregational, Disciples, and Christian Missionary Alliance were allotted
specific regions for mission work.
The Evangelical Union was gradually
laying the foundation for a united, indigenous church. Missionary works under
the Evangelical Union resulted the founding of the United Evangelical church in
1929, truly Filipino in leadership, propagation, and support. Self-support
although it is very difficult to achieve, concerted efforts were made. In order
to bring self-support on the local-level, the United Evangelical church reduce
yearly by 10 percent the grants aided to churches. Self-propagation was a constant concern of
the new United church. With these three-fold goal they fulfilled the
nationalistic drive for self-determination in the church. The theology, arts,
and music were also freed to develop in indigenous expression.
The
seed of Methodism was sown in Filipino soil in February 1899, when Bishop James
M. Thoburn of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church visited
the Philippines and held evangelistic services. Methodist mission was one of
the founders of the Evangelical Union, which was given the area stretching from
Manila north to Cagayan Valley and Ilocus Sur south of Vigan. The methods used
to extend Methodism in the Philippines resembled those that had characterized
the spread of the Wesleyan movement in England and America. Street preaching,
outdoor meetings, and house-to-house visitation brought to the people a message
of heartfelt religion that was practical and relevant to their lives. As the
Methodist missions developed, effective Filipino leadership also developed.
Annual Conferences and the Central Conference were created where most of the
chair of the conference committees were Filipinos, yet remained under American
leadership.
It
was August 6, 1904, when the missionary couple, Rev. and Mrs. B.O. Peterson
from the Northwestern Kansas Annual Conference arrived in Vigan, Ilocos Sur and
started a campus ministry (Ilocos Sur High School). In March 11, 1905, the
missionary couple together with Reverend Ernest S. Lyons and Pastor Filomeno
Galang moved to Candon and organized the first sixteen families of Methodists
at the house of Sr. Santos Gaerlan. That same year also, the missionary couple
Rev. Oscar Huddleston and Ms. Leona Longstreth-Huddleston arrived in Candon. In
1907 through the missionary work of Rev. O. Huddleston at Calaoaan (Calawaan),
Candon Ilocos Sur, Mr. Sixto Cortado was the first to be admitted as member of
the Methodist Society. It was 1908 through the missionary effort of Rev. B.O.
Peterson that Inocencio Gamueda was accepted in the Methodist society and in
1910 was commissioned an Exhortador (Preacher).
It was the same year that Ildefonso Cortado, together with his family,
was admitted to the society. Through their effort and with Inocencio Gamueda,
they regularly had Sunday Worship and Wednesday evening prayer meetings. During
a Worship Service led by Rev. Severino Cordero,
Mr. Balbino Gadong, and Inocencio Gamueda in 1911, held at the house of
Feliciano Cortado and family, that Feliciano Cortado, together with Mariano
Molina, Ignacio Cortado, and Jacinto Garaya were accepted as members of the
society.
Due
to the rapid growth in number, during a meeting attended by Inocencio Gamueda,
Ildefonso Cortado, Ignacio Cortado, Timoteo Gamueda, Velentin Cortado, Marciano
Molina, Jacinto Garaya, Sixto Cortado, Ariston del Rosario, Pablo Bragado, and
Feliciano Cortado in May 10, 1912, the Methodist Society was approved to be
organized in their place. Guided by Acts 2:45 and inspired by the sermon of
their exhortador, they contributed an amount of money for the financial needs
of the society. Since then, their regular Sunday Worship and Wednesday Prayer
meetings held at the houses of the members flourished, and they grew in
quantity and quality. On the 2nd day of February 1913, during their
regular meeting and due to their increased membership, they decided to build a
chapel to accommodate their growing attendance.
In June 22, 1913, through their unified effort as a community of faith,
the chapel was built. The newly arose chapel was consecrated as local church of
the Methodist Episcopal Church in Calaoaan, Candon under the supervision of
Rev. Mariano Tovera. The faithful couple Bartolome Cortado and Angela Cortado,
with Juan Cortado, and Lydia Gamueda were then accepted as members. In the 13th
day of December 1913, the officers of the newly built church structure was
elected and consecrated. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Calaoaan, Candon
since then conducted their regular conferences thrice a year.
During
the regular session of the Trimestral Conference in January 9, 1937, under the
superintendency of Rev. Benito Tovera, Mr. Feliciano Cortado was recommended
and commissioned as Predicador Local, with Ildefonso Cortado, Victoriano
Cortado, and Timoteo Gamueda as Exhortadores. Mrs. Sergia G. Cortado was also
elected to head the committee tasked to prepare the elements of the Holy Communion.
In the Final Trimestral Conference of December 3, 1938, the continuation of the
licenses as Local Predicador and Exhortador of Feliciano Cortado, Timoteo
Gamueda, and Victoriano Cortado was recommended, and Miguel Cortado was added
to their ranks. During that time the government was opening the land of
Mindanao for settlement, and due to landlessness, economic and political crisis
the Cortado brothers and their families headed by Feliciano Cortado migrated to
Mindanao.
When
the government opened the island for settlement, the people from the north
rampantly migrated to Mindanao in the early 1930s. Almost three thousand men,
women, and children with their bundles of clothing, and animals migrated to
Mindanao every month—to the promised land by the State—to seek a better life.
Most of them were Protestant and Methodist Ilocanos who settled in the northern
part of Cotabato, in the towns of Kabacan, Mlang, Midsayap, Koronadal, and
Dadiangas (now General Santos City).
Among all the places mentioned, Kabacan was generally considered the
seat of Methodism in Mindanao.
The
Ilocano group led by Feliciano Cortado with his brothers and their families,
together with the Briones families settled temporarily at the rice granary of
Gregorio Fajardo in Barangay Katidtuan, Kabacan, North Cotabato. The families
of Feliciano Cortado temporarily tilled the land of Macario Agustin for their
survival, and they acquired parts of a lot to build a place of Sunday Worship.
In 1938, the Baltazar family, Encarnacion family, Labiano brothers, the family
of Fermin Dulay, the family of Gregorio Dulay, and the Modesto Fernandez family
joined them in their Sunday Worship. Influenced and trained by the Methodist
Episcopal liturgies, Local Predicador Feliciano Cortado led the Methodist
worship since no pastor in charge had arrived yet. Upon their request of the higher body of the
Methodist Church, Rev. Catalino Guzman was commissioned to take the post.
During the Second World War in 1941,
Rev. Catalino Guzman with other families evacuated to a safer place in Barangay
Aringay where he opened a Methodist society that later became a local church
(known today as Founders United Methodist Church).
Based
on the historical accounts of the Katidtuan (now known as “Living Water”)
United Methodist Church in Katidtuan, Kabacan, North Cotabato, in 1939 when
Mlang then under the Municipality of Buluan, Cotabato was opened to settlers,
the families of Feliciano Cortado, Velentin Cortado, Inocencio Gamueda, and
Aquino Briones explored the fertile land of Mlang. They then again pioneered another Methodist
society, now known as the Pioneer United Methodist Church in Mlang, North
Cotabato. In the regular session of the North West Philippines Annual Conference
in Guimba, Nueva Ecija in 1950, The Reverend Jose Pascua, together with his
family, was sent to Mindanao for missionary exploration. This Ilocano
missionary together with his family arrived in Mlang, and immediately organized
the small congregation in Barangay Dugong. The new church was then called The
Liguasan Evangelical Church.
The
General Conference, due to the commitment and vigor of the pioneering
missionaries in Mindanao and the active participation of the faithful Methodist
laity in ministry and mission, formally and officially opened the work of
Methodism in Mindanao in 1952, and the Central Conference implemented it. Rev.
Curran Spottswood (a flying missionary) together with his family, Miss Dorothy
Edwards (a Director of the Mobile Clinic), Dr. Bert Sison (a Dentist), Dr. Bert
Crisologo, Clinic Nurse Josefina Cabanilla, Don Reeves (agricultural
missionary), Julie Felix (children worker and cook), Juliano Martinez (driver
and mechanic), and Socorro Cariño (teacher in the Cagayan Valley) responded to
Bishop Jose Valencia’s call for the Mindanao missionary work. The Methodist
missionary work in Mindanao was technically under the Northwest Philippines
Annual Conference, and so during its conference in 1954 in San Jose, Nueva
Ecija, they organized two separate districts in Mindanao to comply with the
disciplinary provisions for the creation of a provisionary conference.
The
Eastern Mindanao District was organized and The Reverend Calixto Garibay was
appointed as District Superintendent stationed in Tagum, Davao. The Western
Mindanao District was organized and The Reverend Felix F. Telan was appointed
as District Superintendent stationed in Kabacan, Cotabato. It was in April 25,
1955, as authorized by the General Conference of the Methodist Church in San
Francisco, California, United States of America, and by the Central Conference,
implemented by the Northwest Philippines Annual Conference in Luzon, that the
Mindanao Provisional Annual Conference was established during its first session
in Mlang, North, Cotabato. It was also
at this time that the Methodist society in Mlang was formally recognized as a
local church. The first conference was attended by 35 pastors, 3 deaconesses,
21 lay delegates, and 3 missionaries. The delegates represented the 18 local
churches and circuits under the Mindanao West District and 17 local churches in
the Mindanao East District. Although the first Methodist worship and
proclamation of the Word was held in Katidtuan (though they are also claiming
this in Aringay), the first local church formally organized and recognized by
The Methodist Church was in Mlang. In 1959, the Mindanao Provisional Annual
Conference already comprised of 34 pastors scattered in 156 local churches
composing of 4,819 church members.
During
the regular session of the General Conference of the Methodist Church in 1960,
it was approved to make the Mindanao Provisional Annual Conference under the
Northwest Philippines Annual Conference into a regular conference. On April 7,
1963, at 5:20 p.m., in Kidapawan, North Cotabato, during the regular of session
of the Mindanao Philippines Provisional Conference, it became a regular
conference called the Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference. The newly created
regular conference then was under the Baguio Episcopal Area which comprised of
the Northern Philippines Annual Conference and the Northwest Philippines Annual
Conference, headed by Bishop Jose L. Valencia. After that experience,
Methodists grew in quality and quantity resulting in the creation of a new
district, the Mindanao Central District, in addition to the existing two
districts. The newly installed district covered the towns of Kabacan towards
the northern portion of Mindanao, including the hinterlands of Bukidnon, like
Valencia, Vintar, Malaybalay, and Kalilangan. It also established the Methodist
work in Cagayan de Oro, Plaridel, and Zamboanga City.
To
backtrack a bit, before Bishop James Thoburn left on March 14, 1899, for
Hongkong, he organized the Methodist societies into a church (congregation) and
connected them with the Singapore District of the Malaysia Mission Conference
and placed it under Chaplain George C. Stull.
Due to the increasing number of Methodist societies expanding their area
in the provinces, the Philippine Islands District was formed under the
leadership of Rev. Jesse L. McLaughin, a 30-year-old graduate of Theology from
Boston University as presiding elder. In 1904 the mission district became a
mission conference, named Philippine Island Mission Annual Conference. And in
March 12, 1912, under the Philippine Laws after it was incorporated was called
Philippine Island Annual Conference of the Methodist Church. It was November
16-20, 1960, during the regular session of the Philippines Central Conference,
the creation of two Episcopal areas was implemented based on the enabling act
approved during the 1960 General Conference. The two Episcopal areas created
were the Baguio Episcopal Area [composed of Northwest Philippines Annual
Conference, Northern Philippines Annual Conference, and the Mindanao
Provisional Annual Conference] and the Manila Episcopal Area [Philippines
Annual Conference, Southwest Philippines Provisional Annual Conference, and
Middle Philippines Annual Conference].
In
1986, the Philippines Central Conference of the United Methodist Church during
its regular session implemented the enabling act approved by the General
Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1984, to create the Davao
Episcopal Area in addition to the two Episcopal Areas already organized, Manila
and Baguio. Rev. Jose Gamboa Jr., was elected to take charge of the newly birth
Episcopal area covering Mindanao, Palawan, Visayas, and Mindoro. The Davao
Episcopal Area was then composed of two annual conferences with six districts.
The Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference was composed of four districts,
namely, The Mindanao East District, The Mindanao South District, The Mindanao
West District, and the Mindanao Central District. The Southwest Philippines
Provisional Annual Conference, was composed of the Mindoro and Palawan
districts.
Bishop
Jose Gamboa in the beginning of the Davao Episcopal Area presented the
Integrated Mission Program that developed from the consultations of the local
churches and leaders. The Statement of
Mission written by the Ad Hoc Committee headed by Rev. David P. Pascua pointed
out the four components of the Integrated Mission Program:
·
MISSION
AND EVANGELISM, to make the United Methodist Church a vital component for
renewal of communities in Mindanao.
·
CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION, to nurture and vitalize the faith and to equip the people of God for
service in the church and for mission in the world.
·
MASAGANANG
KABUHAYAN, to focus the concern of the church for the poor and deprived through
livelihood and skills training programs, and by organizing communities for
environmental programs, farm projects, and cooperatives.
·
COMMUNITY-BASED
HEALTH PROGRAM, to provide medical and dental services in remote communities.
The
Episcopal program thrusts of mission aimed to consolidate and strengthen the
organized Methodist community, and expand the efforts of mission in Mindoro and
Palawan. The programs were formulated in response to ecological and
environmental concerns, indigenous people’s concern, student and youth
concerns, health, human rights and peace concerns. The effort resulted in the
creation of provisional conferences, the North Mindanao East Visayas
Provisional Annual Conference (1988), and the East Mindanao Philippines
Provisional Annual Conference (1992). Bishop Jose Gamboa Jr., in his 1994
Episcopal Address to the regular sessions of the Annual Conferences under his
area, presented the ministry and missions of the church as a response to the
ongoing economic and political crisis in the Philippines, particularly under
his area of jurisdiction, such as, development aggression, environmental and
ecological destruction, drug abuse, abuse of women and children, militarization
and terroristic activities.
Bishop
Gamboa stressed, “One of the deepest
concerns is the continuing reign of peace in our land. Unless we have peace we
will not be able to pursue our work and our aspirations. Also, in the experience of our mission
evangelism, some of our churches were closed due to deterioration of peace, and
the danger of clashes and battles, and repercussions inflicted on civilians
caught in war zones by armed groups…. As a Christian community we need to be in
solidarity with people in their desire for peace. We must actively support
efforts to preserve peace through participation in community programs which
draw people in friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect of religious faiths.
We must support ecumenical and inter-faith activities to foster strong ties
with our brother Muslims.”[1]
At
present, the Davao Episcopal Area is composed of four regular annual
conferences and one provisional annual conference. The Bicol Provisional Annual
Conference comprising of 17 local churches and 3 preaching points are divided
into 3 districts, with 24 clergy and 4 deaconesses. The Visayas Philippines
Annual Conference composing of 40 local churches and 5 preaching points are
divided into 3 districts with 34 clergy, and 3 deaconesses. The Northwest
Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference with two districts are divided into the
31 local churches and 1 preaching point, with 27 clergy and 7 deaconesses. The East
Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference comprising 43 local churches and 18
preaching points are divided into 3 districts, with 36 clergy and 7
deaconesses. And, the Mindanao
Philippines Annual Conference with 80 local churches and 4 preaching points are
divided into 4 districts, and actively administered by the 78 clergy and 23
deaconesses. The Davao Episcopal Area in its quadrennial area vision statement,
envisage a United Methodist Church journeying towards that promised
future—transformed, spiritually empowered, autonomous, ecumenical, prophetic
and daringly responsive to the demands of the church mission. Articulated in
its mission statement is the commitment to equip and empower individual members
and all conferences to effectively engage in the ministry of personal and
social transformation and development through shared servant leadership to the
end that the Kingdom of God would be established.
Among
the primary components in the outreach program for Prophetic Ministry is the
challenge to the Methodist community to regularly conduct, participate, sponsor
fora and symposia for Peace and Justice, Human Rights and other Advocacy
Programs with farmers, farm workers, laborers, fisher folk, Indigenous People
and other underprivileged in the society as rooted in our United Methodist
Church Social Principles. The Nurture Ministries is tasked to adapt and live
out contextualized worship resources enriched by the Wesleyan Heritage and by
distinctive gems of indigenous culture. It must train and organize a pool of
writers and translators Area-wide to be involved in the development of
contextualized worship resources. The Mindanao Philippines Annual Conference at
present covers the province of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao,
Sultan Kudarat, and Saranggani Province. It is composed of four districts, the
Mindanao Central District, the Mindanao South District, the Mindanao Southwest
District, and the Mindanao Central East District.
It
was during the 41st Regular Session of the Mindanao Philippines Annual
Conference of the United Methodist Church held last March 7-10, 1996, at Branscomb Memorial United Methodist Church,
Spottswood Methodist Center, Kidapawan City, through the recommendation of the
Mindanao Central District with Rev. Francisco Mella as the District
Superintendent, that the division of the district into two was duly approved.
The eastern part would comprise the First Congressional District of North
Cotabato and be called the Mindanao Central East District. The western part
would comprise the towns of Lebak and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat, a portion
of the Province of Maguindanao, and the Second Congressional District of the
Province of North Cotabato, and be called Mindanao Central District.
The
newly installed district started with 13 local churches and missions, and 7 of
these belong to ethnic communities. Rev. Noel F.R. Guzman was then pioneering
district superintendent who led the First District Planning in May 1996 wherein
the mission-vision was articulated based on Matthew 28:19-20: “Paglago sa
Bilang at Husay ng mga Simbahan sa Ebanghelismo, Pagdedesipulo, at
Estewardsip.” The Mindanao Central East
District is currently comprised of the following local churches and missions
divided into four zones:
The Ta Mlang Zone
1.
The Pioneer United Methodist
Church [PNUMC]
located at Jose P. Laurel Street, Poblacion, Mlang, North Cotabato.
2.
The First Nowell United
Methodist Church [FNUMC],
Barangay Dugong, Mlang, North Cotabato.
3.
The Spring of Life United
Methodist Church
of La Suerte, Mlang, Cotabato. [which reverted to preaching point of PUMC and
FNUMC]
The Icdang Zone
1.
The
Branscomb Memorial United Methodist Church, at Spottswood
Methodist Center, Kidapawan City.
2.
The Greene Pasture United
Methodist Church
located at Sitio Puas Inda, Brgy. Amas, Kidapawan City, which started as an
outreach of the Branscomb Memorial United Methodist Church during the time of
Rev. Valentine Rufino, before it was recognized as a local church.
3.
Living Grace United Methodist
Church, at
Tejada Subdivision, Poblacion, Makilala, Cotabato.
4.
The Mt. Zion United Methodist
Church, Sitio
Palusok, Brgy. Sta. Felomina, Makilala, North Cotabato.
5.
The Community Mission United
Methodist Church, at
the SPMC Compound, Kidapawan City.
6.
The Tungao United Methodist
Mission, at
Sitio Tungao, Barangay Tempuran, Magpet, Cotabato.
The Lamitan Zone
1.
Living Word United Methodist
Mission,
located at Greene Academy, San Vicente, Makilala, North Cotabato
2.
The Little Cochran United
Methodist Church,
Brgy. Bulakanon, Makilala, North Cotabato.
3.
Emmanuel United Methodist
Church, located
at Luna Norte, Makilala, North Cotabato.
4.
The Blessed Redeemer United
Methodist Church
of Barangay Malabuan, Makilala, North Cotabato. [there is a possibility that
this church will be reverted into a mission point]
5.
The New Galilee United
Methodist Church
of Barangay Malungon, Makilala, North Cotabato.
6.
The Truth United Methodist
Church of
Bato, Makilala, North Cotabato [due to the decrease in membership, there is the
possibility to revert it as mission church]
The Arakan Zone
1.
The Healing Grace United
Methodist Church,
at Barangay Malatab, Antipas, North
Cotabato.
2.
The Riverside United Methodist
Church,
Barangay Doruluman, Arakan, North Cotabato. [reverted]
3.
The Hope Valley United
Methodist Church,
Barangay Tumanding, Arakan, North Cotabato.
At
present, the Mindanao Central East District are served by 6 Ordained Elders, 2
Ordained Deacons, 7 Local Pastors (3 of this are full time, 4 are part time), 2
retired Pastors, 4 Deaconesses, 36 Student Pastors and Deaconesses, 8 Volunteer
Workers, 5 Lay Preachers, and 1,314 church members. There are 8 units organized
in the Junior Youth Fellowship with a membership of 89. There are 9 chapters of
the United Methodist Youth Fellowship composing of 159 members. The United
Methodist Young Adult Fellowship has a total membership of 108 scattered in 7
chapters. The United Methodist Men have organized 7 units with a membership of
68. The UMWSCS have a total membership of 161 actively serving the 10 local
chapters respectively.[2]
Reference:
1. Deats, Richard L. (1967) Nationalism And Christianity In The
Philippines. Dallas:: Southern Methodist Uiversity Press.
2. Kwantes, Anne C. ed. (2001) Chapters In Philippine Church History.
USA: OMF Inc.
3. Sitoy, Valentino Jr. T. ed.
(1989) Comity And Unity. Philippines:
NCCP.
4. Anderson, Gerald H. ed. (1969) Studies In Philippine History. USA:
Corneil University.
5. Gamboa, Jose Jr. (2005) Unswerving Methodist Faith In Mindanao: A
History Of The Mindanao Methodist Church. Philippines: Wesleyan College of
Manila.
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