Transcript Northwest Mindanao Jurisdiction of the United Church of

“Our Life Work Journey”
UCCP was established in 1948 as an organic union of
five churches in mission from the United States of
America. After almost 50 years of mission work in
the Philippines, the United Brethren Church;
Congregational Church; Disciples of Christ;
Philippine Methodist Church; and the Presbyterian
Church agreed to a union forming the UCCP.
Today, the UCCP has grown to include 2,714 local
churches, 16 schools, 4 hospitals, 5 seminaries, with a
membership of 1.2 million. It has established itself as
an outspoken valiant defender of the poor and
oppressed, often suffering persecution for its
courageous presence.
Evolving as a result of an ecumenical agenda of forging union, the UCCP has
endeavored to maintain its active participation in ecumenical bodies. It is a
founding member of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, and
the new United Evangelical Mission. It is also a member of the Christian
Conference of Asia, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the World
Council of Churches. It has also forged relationship covenants with other
church bodies in the Philippines and throughout the world.
NWMJ at a Glance
Northwest Mindanao Jurisdictional Area (NWMJA) of the
United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) is part of
the mainline Evangelical & Reformed Protestant Christian
denomination in the Philippines. NWMJ is one of the 7
Jurisdictions of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
It composes of 7 Conferences namely; Bukidnon Area
Conference, Central Mindanao Area Conference. Lanao
District Conference,
District Conference of Northern
Mindanao, District Conference of Northern Zamboanga,
District Conference of Southern Zamboanga, and Western
Mindanao Conference. It covers the Zamboanga Peninsula
(Region IX), Northern Mindanao (Region 10) and
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
ORANGE Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)
MAGENTA Northern Mindanao (Region X)
GREEN Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao
(ARMM)
There are 463 Church Workers of the Jurisdiction
and is classified as follows: 132 Ordained
Ministers, 118 Licentiates, 39 Retired Ordained, 43
Retired Licentiates and 131Lay Preachers).
These Church workers are assigned to 556
Churches (292 Local Churches, 124 Worshipping
Congregation, and 63 Outreaches).
The Jurisdictional Area has a total individual UCCP
membership of 58, 886 coming from the different ethnic
groups.
NWMJ has a Jurisdictional Office
whose mandate is the translation
to
concrete
ministries
the
coordinated
plans
of
the
Jurisdictional
Cabinet.
The
Jurisdictional Office serves as an
extension of the UCCP National
Office. The Bishop assigned in
NWMJ is Bishop Melzar D.
Labuntog. Bishop Labuntog is
assisted by Rev. Rey Alejandro L.
Lazaro, the Jurisdictional Program
Coordinator and Ms. Emmylou D.
Bitayo, the Office Assistant.
Our Jurisdiction also has 5 Church-Related and Church
Owned schools which are as follows; Pilgrim Christian
College (PCC), in Cagayan de Oro City, Gingoog Christian
College (GICC) of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, Dansalan
College Foundation (DCFI) in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur,
Farmers Institute (FI) of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental and
Jimenez Bethel Institute (JBI) in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental.
These schools cater to Lumad, Christian and Muslim
people in Mindanao. And has established a strong
Community outreach/ministries in their areas. In Dansalan
in particular we have a Center of Islamic Studies. We also
have 55 Early Childhood Education Schools all over the
jurisdictional area.
The Jurisdictional Cabinet is composed of the 7 Conference Ministers
namely: Rev. Arturo Veladiez BAC, Rev. Rufiniano C. Cabada - CMAC,
Rev. Danilo Tobias-LDC, Rev. Abner V. Saycon-DCNM, Rev. Jesse
Baclayon-DCNZ, Rev. Gerson Senturias-DCSZ and Rev. Diosdado
Marquez-WMC as well as the Conference Chairpersons
the Jurisdictional Presidents of the Church Recognized
Organizations (United Church Men, Christian Women
Association, Christian Young Adult Fellowship, Christian Youth
Fellowship, United Church Workers Organization, Ministerial
Spouses Association, and Retired Church Workers and Spouses
Association) and the heads of the Church Related and
Church Owned Institutions. The Jurisdictional Cabinet
holds a meeting quarterly that updates and discusses the
life work of each conference; church recognized
organization, and the whole ecclesiastical life of the UCCP.
Our Context
Mindanao is the 2nd largest island in the Philippines and
19th biggest island in the world with a land area of 101,998 square
kilometers. It is located just above equator and part of the Pacific
Rim of Fire. It is mountainous and contains active volcanoes,
including Mount Apo, the highest peak in the Philippines. Islam
spread throughout Mindanao in the 15th century. It was visited by
Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. It was later claimed by Spain, but the
resistance of its Muslim inhabitants kept it largely independent of
Spanish authority. The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao,
in the western and southwestern portions of the Island, was
created in 1990.
Mindanao has 18 million populations; 13 millions nonindigenous groups, 3.6 million indigenous peoples, and 1.4
million Moro (13 tribes). It has been recognized that Mindanao is
a Tri-people populace, Christian, Muslim, and Lumad are living
together harmoniously with each other.
Mindanao has been known to be the land of
promise simply because of the richness and vastness of
its natural resources. It’s the food basket of the country
that provides agricultural products both in Visayas and
Luzon islands and to the whole world. Mindanao has
various minerals such as gold, copper, nickel, iron and
manganese. It also has opulence found in Philippine
Deep and Luguasan Marsh
Though known to be the land of promise but still the sad
reality remains that its people are suffering, wallow in deep
rooted problems and conflicts. These are as follows:
•Economic Poverty. 1.4 million
Families are in hungry. 60% live below
poverty threshold.
Land Conversion. Aggressive penetration and
expansion of foreign agribusiness producing high
value crops for export occupies 40 % of the prime
lowland areas. This leads to eating up lands
planted to food crops.
•Landlordism. Half of the farmers’ poppulation are nonlandowning farmers, they are farm workers. Theses farmers faces
the problems of expensive farm inputs, 30% to 40% of their
harvest goes to the landlord and usurious loan practices which is
as high as 360%-480% per annum.
•Extra Judicial Killings. Killings of Church workers and church
leaders who were labeled as sympathizers of the masses. Illegal
arrest and savaging are few of the evil schemes. There are 26
church workers and lay leaders who were murdered.
•Militarization. Communities have been harassed and displaced
from their homes and farms.
•All-Out War in Mindanao. Since 1970, more than
100,000 persons killed, 50 bombing since 2001 where
128 were killed and more than 700 were injured. The
cost of war for the last 28 years reaches more than P
80 billion which is 40% of the Philippine Annual
Budget
•Islamophobia. The irrational fear of Islam, Muslim
or Islamic culture. Encompasses the belief that all or
most Muslims are religious fanatics.
•Ethnocide. The sum effect of policies and programs
that erode cultural integrity and identity of indigenous
populations. These are the forms of ethnocide;
Militarization, Mining Act of 1995, Land grabbing, Logging
operations, Large Dam projects, Recruitment into
paramilitary groups & cults, Food blockades & forced
evacuations, Culture of impunity, Summary killings and
Human rights violations
•Human Trafficking. Modern day slavery where human
especially children were recruited and sold as slaves.
Some were sold to prostitution and for human organ
donor.
•Urban Issues. Urban poor are now increasing cause by
massive migration coming from the hinterland.
Prostitution both men and women is becoming rampant
which is the leading source of sexual transmitted
infection, HIV and AIDS.
•Environmental Issue. Illegal Logging, Mining,
Pollution from Multinational Companies, Misuse of
Farm inputs, and illegal fishing brought doom to
Mindanao natural resources.
• Bureaucratic Graft and Corruption. Fertilizer scam,
rice crises and other scams lead to mistrust.
NWMJ-UCCP’s Being
Northwest Mindanao Jurisdiction adheres to the Vision,
Mission and Goals of the United Church of Christ in the
Philippines. It also works within the framework of the UCCP
Quadrennial Program Thrust.
Our Vision
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines, a
responsible, empowered, self-reliant and caring community of
Christian believers committed to pursuit of a transformed
church and society towards an abundant and meaningful life
for all.
Our Mission
In light of such vision, the United Church of Christ in the
Philippines, therefore commits itself to the mission of
establishing and uniting the community of faith for the
proclamation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ towards
the transformation of both church and society.
Our Goals
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines will
translate its mission to the life-work that will focus on the
restoration of its relations a foretaste of God's reign or shalom.
Program Thrusts of Quadrennium 2010-2014
The gains in the past quadrennium inspire us to renew our commitment to the
continuing challenges of mission and the call for discernment and obedience in these
critical times. Hence, we shall continue to pursue, rather more intensely, these thrusts:
•Unity in the understanding of the faith of the Church;
•Vibrant and contextualized worship life of the congregations manifested in a deep,
warm and caring fellowship within and among faith communities;
•Faithful and responsible stewardship of God-given resources and greater capacity of
the Church to support its mission and ministries;
•Steadfast prophetic witness of the Church amidst wounds of conflict and despair;
•Strengthened cooperation and coordination with and among church-related
institutions and organizations as companions in faith journey and as partners-inmission;
•Stronger and meaningful interfaith, ecumenical, and international relations;
•Intentional, coherent and integrated programme ministries that give priority to the
nurturing and proclamation of the faith, and inspire responsible stewardship, prophetic
witness and collective response to contemporary challenges;
•Rationalized human resource development programme that ensures capable,
responsible and effective leadership for present and future generations;
•Clear and coherent organizational and structural mechanisms that are known,
understood and upheld by the broad constituency of the Church; and
•Commitment to the overall ministry of the church.
NWMJ Life-Work: 7 Program Ministries
The Northwest Mindanao Jurisdiction engages in responding the call of the time
through working with God’s people through the 7 program ministries of the church.
These are as follows;
1. Evangelism and Church Development
ECD is an affirmation that the church exists for mission. Generally, it serves to
help nurture and equip local churches to respond to the call for discipleship, witness and
service. The various initiatives undertaken by the local churches and conferences will
increase in the number of congregations as the commitment of the church to the mission
and ministry of Jesus Christ.
• Each Church Establishes One New Outreach Per Year
• Each Member Bring Two New Members
• Each Conference Aims for Ecclesiastical Growth
• Focusing Evangelism Effectively Today
• Evangelism: Its Tools and Methodology
• Church Vitality Program: Grow, Glow and Go
2. Christian Education and Nurture
CEN is the educating and nurturing arm of the Church. From conceptualization
towards publication, this ministry provides materials for local church and supports
technically the ECE centers with training and equipping of ECE teachers in teaching
skills and handling children properly.
• Sunday School Materials
• Liturgical Guide (Advent, Lent, others)
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•
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ECE Materials & Trainings of ECE Teachers
Hymnology
Education and Training Workshop
Vacation Church School
Christian Education Trainers’ Training
Reiki: Health Ministry
Children Ministry
Community Ministries
The NWMJ- UCCP believes that the primary locus of the mission is the local
church, therefore local churches need to be nurtured and equipped to carry our various
forms of ministries in areas that include advocacy for human rights, justice and peace,
children and youth ministry, community integration and service, and the protection of
environment and God's creation. This ministry implies developing and sustaining
ministries that are meaningful, appropriate and relevant to communities where local
churches are located.
Health, Human rights, Justice and Peace ministry provides assistance to the
victims of variable human rights violations and forms such as harassment, abduction,
arrest, detentions, disappearance and killing of UCCP Pastor and church workers. This
ministry provides legal assistance to victims and their families including scholarship
assistance.
•Human Rights Victim: Advocacy, Legal Assistance, Sanctuary/Shelter
•Relief Distribution
•Children Ministries: Community Based Education, Street Children’s
Program
•Human Trafficking: Advocacy, Rescuing, & Sheltering
•Feeding
•Medical Mission
•Health Ministries: Alternative Medicine
Partnership and Ecumenical Relation
PER program is based on the premise of the mission of the church that the church is
running on a global scale. Binding with other faith communities globally conveys the
responds on global challenges and issues.
• Exchange Program
• Ecumenical Internship Program
•Joint Partnership Program
•Interfaith and Inter-sectoral Relation (Asian Journey for Peace, Ecumenical Bishop
Forum, & CONCORD)
•Ecumenical Relation with National Council of Churches in the Philippines
Members
•Tri-People Forum (Christian, Lumads & Muslims)
. Stewardship and Resource Development
Developing the capability of the local churches, conferences and
church-related institutions to develop and manage properties is one of the
main concerns of the Church. SRD serves in stimulating and
accelerating the stewardship capability at all level in developing
properties towards sustainability and self-reliance.
• 25% Wider-Mission Support
• Financial Management Implementation
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Church Building Construction/ Renovation
Human Resource Inventory
Property Development
Safekeeping and Church Property Management
Institutional Ministries
This program facilitates the church related/ owned institutions of the
UCCP to become an arm of pursuing God’s missiological life work to God’s
people.
•Ministerial Formation Centers
•Church-Related Educational Institutions (Dansalan College Foundation, Marawi
City,Jimenez Bethel Academy, Pilgrim Christian College, Gingoog Christian College)
•Church Related Service Institutions
The Office of the Ministry and Lay Empowerment
This program focuses on the development and finalization of
what is envisioned to be a Magna Carta for Church Workers. The
Magna Carta compiles and synchronizes all the policies of the
Church related to its church workers. It is an encompassing
document covering the church workers' recruitment, training,
recognition and status, terms of settlement, benefits and
retirement.
It supervises the work of the conferences in ministerial
formation, examination and ordination and Settlement.