RW MINISTERS TO THOUSANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES


Eight years after he first came, Pastor Rick Warren took Manila by storm, literally and figuratively.

Inspite of  Typhoon Glenda that flooded most of  Metro Manila streets, more than 20,000 Filipinos listened to Pastor Rick Warren as he launched the PEACE Plan at the PhilSports-Ultra Arena and beamed by satellite to seven provinces nationwide.

As early as 4:00 am of July 25, friends of PD staff and volunteers received telephone calls inquiring if the two-day Rick Warren Congress at ULTRA will go on as scheduled. Braving the heavy rains, people waited at the gates of the Arena as early as 6:00 am. Soon, the place was filled to the rafters as Saddleback Church Magnification Pastor Rick Muchow and his son Brandon, together with Filipino back-up singers and musicians led the crowd through the worship songs.

“Those beautiful worship songs rammed against the heavy rains head-on,” a participant remarked. The singing was roof-blowing as it thundered across the Arena.

But when Pastor Rick stepped on stage, the rains ceased, albeit momentarily. It allowed him to greet thousands of participants in Baguio City, Palawan, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro City, Bacolod City, and at the Philippine National Police Academy viewed by no less than 5,000 police in Cavite who watched him in their respective satellite areas.

“Pastor Rick is coming in loud and clear and the reception is excellent here in Bacolod,” reported Pastor Joe Ascalon via his mobile phone as he watched the satellite feed. His Baptist Convention Church of Bacolod was a Saddleback Health Church Award recipient in 2005.

Even when Pastor Rick was half way through the morning session, people were still queuing at the gates to get in.  “We were caught in the traffic, the floods and the heavy rains. Well, we finally made it to hear Rick Warren,” a pastor with five people in tow was overheard telling someone he recognized in the crowd.

Nuns, priests, and seminarians from the Catholic denomination sat alongside evangelicals, office employees and corporate leaders in a show of unity of faith. A young mother who probably had no one to leave her child at home brought along her baby and held her in her arms all throughout Pastor Rick’s sessions.

Lois Sunga-Saur of  the hundred-year old Iglesia Evangelica Metodista en las Islas Filipinas (IEMELIF) who has been to Saddleback Church’s conferences for more than three times said that this congress “was really different. It really made an impact. First because Pastor Rick came all the way to minister when he could have just assigned it to his staff. I appreciate the fact that he took the time.”
“Secondly, our 25-member delegation was specially blessed because they don’t get to see that kind of praise and worship which Rick Muchow showed us - that kind of singing wherein you see them in the background and Christ is the One who is uplifted,” Lois continued.

Each time Lois goes to the US for summer vacation, she does not fail to attend Saddleback. “And each time, it is different. Just like the Congress, it showed me the other areas my church and I need to work on more,” she added.

“The Rick Muchow worship conference was another thing. The teaching was not much because he concentrated on the singing. Again, our members and the youth who attended were crying while it was going on because we saw how to perform in front of a crowd while the crowd sees the Lord, not the performers. That was the biggest lesson we learned,” Lois emphasized.

Her mother Loida Trinidad-Sunga could hardly walk down the stairs of the Arena as she was escorted to her seat. “No, the rains did not dampen my spirits. I had to be there,” she said over the telephone.

Right after the Congress, Mrs. Sunga insisted that their seven pastors, lay workers and members of their council of elders proceed to her house to discuss the lessons learned and how to apply it at IEMELIF. She served a late dinner where discussions and excitement prevailed over dinner. It was virtually a “small” group of more than 25 people sharing their insights and visions for the church.

“It was a new wave, another awakening for the transformation of our country,” Pastor Philip de Guzman said. At the end of the Congress, he went up the stage to receive the Local Church Health Award in behalf of his church, New Life Christ Center in the urban slum area of Tondo, Manila. Pastor Philip and his church took the challenge of the PEACE Plan as their Purpose Driven church has been gearing toward that direction for more than a year now.

For engineer and businessman Jonathan Diaz, the Congress was timely. “With the way our government is going, you at PD are doing the right thing,” he said. A member of the Victory Christian Fellowship that ministers to the affluent professionals, Diaz believes in the importance of the three-legged stool with business, faith sector and government working in partnership to uplift the country. Only through this could the country move forward, he said.

The all-women audience at the Women Talk with Kay Warren did not want her to go. She was serenaded with a Filipino song and given a Filipino token of appreciation. When asked when they want Kay to come back, the audience roared “Tomorrow!” The audience overflowed to more than the 1,500 seating capacity of the Greenhills Christian Fellowship Ortigas and pleaded to be allowed to hear Kay speak. Some of them were accommodated in the new worship hall where they listened to Kay via remote screen.