i ii LED BY THE SPIRIT The History of the American Assemblies of God Missionaries in the Philippines Copyright © 2009 by the Assemblies of God World Missions, Springfield, Missouri, USA, and David M. Johnson No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews. Published and printed in the Philippines (2009) by ICI Ministries P.O. Box 13461, Ortigas Center 1605 Pasig City, Philippines www.iciphilippines.org [email protected] All Scriptures taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) ISBN No. 978-971-503-314-5 iii Dedication To the former AGWM missionaries to the Philippines for the path they have pioneered, To the current missionaries for the friendship they have given, To the future missionaries for the part they will play. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS MAP OF THE PHILIPPINES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XI FOREWORD XIII PREFACE XV INTRODUCTION 1 PART 1 (1926 – 1945) 5 1 THE EARLY YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES 7 The First Missionaries Arrive 7 Filipino Pioneers 9 The Pre-War Years 13 2 INTERNED BY THE JAPANESE 21 Sent to the Concentration Camp 23 Free in Baguio 26 Interned Again 28 Moved to Manila 31 Liberated! 34 PART 2 (1946 – 1959) 37 3 REGROUPING AND MOVING FORWARD: 1946-1959 39 The National Church Regroups 39 Organizing the Philippine Field Fellowship 42 4 THE MISSIONARIES COME AGAIN 47 Elva Vanderbout’s Ministry in the Cordilleras 47 Missionaries Come to Bethel Bible Institute 52 5 MISSIONARIES AND EARLY MINISTRIES ON LUZON 59 Paul and Violet Pipkin 59 Mayme Williams 61 Clyde and Virginia Shields 62 Ernest and Jean Sjoberg 63 Riley and Flossie Kaufman 68 Evangel Press 69 Melvin and Norma Steward 70 v 6 GLAD TIDINGS REVIVAL CENTER AND BETHEL TEMPLE 73 The Pipkins Pioneer 73 Lester and Louise Sumrall 75 Ernie and Deloryes Reb 79 Alfred and Elizabeth Cawston 81 7 PIONEERING IN PANAY 83 Warren and Marjorie Denton 83 Gunder and Doris Olsen 92 Melvin and Norma Stewart 97 Phyllis Bakke 97 8 CEBU AND NEGROS 99 Immanuel Bible Institute is Born 99 Mayme Williams and the Ahlbergs Lead IBI 102 Ed and Francis Blount 104 The Zeisslers Pioneer in Bacolod City 107 The Kenneys Carry On 109 Summary of Part One and Two 110 PART 3 (1960 – 1979) 113 9 INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE AGMF AND ITS RELATIONSHIPS TO THE PGCAG 115 Relationship Between the AGMF and the PGCAG in the 1960s 118 Living Under the Structure of the AGMF 128 Administrative Changes 129 Relationship with the PGCAG During the 1970s 129 10 THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN METRO MANILA: FEAST AND BBI 133 Far East Advanced School of Theology (FEAST) 133 Bethel Bible Institute 143 11 NATIONWIDE MEDIA MINISTRIES 149 Literature 149 Sunday School of the AIR and ICI 155 Radio 163 12 MINISTRY IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LUZON IN THE 1960S AND 1970S 167 Northern Luzon 167 Central Luzon: Clark Assembly of God 172 vi 13 MINISTERING TO MINORITIES 181 S. Wayne Shaneyfelt and Bible Institute for the Deaf 181 The Lentz’s Deaf Ministry in Cagayan De Oro 186 Ministry to the Chinese 189 14 SCHISM, SPLIT, AND HEALING 193 1963 194 1964 196 1965 196 1966 to 1969 199 1970 200 1972 and 1973 201 1974 202 1975 and 1976 203 Schism within the PGCAG 205 15 MINISTRY IN METRO MANILA AND SOUTHERN LUZON IN THE 1960S AND 1970S 209 The Weekleys’ Evangelism, Youth, and Training Ministries 209 Jesus Way Ministries and Dwight Palmquist 214 The Charismatic Movement 217 International Charismatic Service (ICS) 219 MK Ministry 222 Manila Impact Crusade 225 Teen Challenge 225 Southern Luzon, the Bicol Region 227 16 THE VISAYAS IN THE 1960S AND 1970S 233 The Dentons in Antique, Panay 233 The Olsens: Iloilo and Beyond 235 The Kenneys in Negros 239 IBI in Cebu in the 1960s and 1970s 239 Boat Ministry 248 Brian and Marylin Dobson in Cebu 256 Eastern Visayas: The Curtises Keep a Promise 256 vii 17 MINDANAO IN THE 1960S AND 1970S 259 Assemblies of God Bible Institute of Mindanao (AGBIM) 259 Other Ministry on Mindanao 265 Summary of Part Three 266 PART 4 (1980 - 2000) 267 18 CHANGES IN THE PHILIPPINES IN THE 1980S AND 1990S 269 Political Instability 269 Modern Advancements enhance Missionary Life 273 The Division of Foreign Missions and the AGMF 277 The PGCAG 280 19 NEW INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES 281 Agape Christian Fellowship (ACF) 281 Asia Pacific Bible Schools Regional Office (APBSRO) 290 Asia Pacific Media Ministries (APMM) 295 20 FAR EAST ADVANCED SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY (FEAST) IN THE 1980S 303 The Baguio Earthquake 314 The Library and the Ministry Development Program (MDP) 316 Asians Join the Board of Directors and FEAST Becomes APTS 322 21 APTS CONTINUES MOVING FORWARD 323 22 NATIONWIDE PROGRAMS 341 Christian Education 341 Jimmy Swaggart Ministries 343 Philippine Healthcare Ministries 347 Children’s Ministries 353 Child Care Centers (CCC) 354 23 ADDITIONAL NATIONWIDE PROGRAMS 357 More Children’s Ministries 357 The Barrio Church Building Program 367 International Correspondence Institute 369 Teen Challenge 376 24 NATIONWIDE EVANGELISTIC MINISTRIES 379 Dwight Palmquist 379 viii Gerald and Donna Johnson 387 Boyd and Edna “Eddie” Jackson 392 Dave Johnson 394 25 NORTHERN LUZON IN THE 1980S AND 1990S 399 Baguio City and Northward 399 Luzon Bible College (LUBIC) 405 Clark Assembly of God 407 King’s Garden Children’s Home (KGCH) 413 Mike and Vicky Baldree 415 26 METRO MANILA: BIBLE INSTITUTE FOR THE DEAF, BETHEL BIBLE COLLEGE & FAITH ACADEMY 417 Bible Institute for the Deaf 417 Bethel Bible Institute/Bethel Bible College 419 BBC Cubao Extension 429 Faith Academy 432 27 MORE METRO MANILA AND BATANGAS 437 Manila ’85 437 Ministry to the Chinese 441 Asian Christian Charismatic Fellowship (ACCF) 447 International Charismatic Service (ICS) 450 Other Missionaries in Metro Manila 458 Batangas 464 28 THE VISAYAS IN THE 1980S AND 1990S 469 Western Visayas 469 Central Visayas 473 Eastern Visayas 487 29 MINDANAO IN THE 1980S AND 1990S 493 Cagayan de Oro 493 Davao 495 Assemblies of God Bible Institute of Mindano (AGBIM) 496 Iligan City 500 Ministry to Muslims 504 Family Circus 511 Summary of Part Four 514 PART 5 (2001 - 2008) 517 30 PARTNERSHIP, CHURCH PLANTING AND STRATEGY IN THE SECOND DECADE OF HARVEST 519 ix 31 INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL MINISTRIES 523 Asia Pacific Theological Seminary (APTS) 523 Asia Pacific Campus Challenge (APCC) 538 Asia Pacific Media Ministries (APMM) 539 From Child Care Centers (CCC) to Childcare Community Ministries of the Philippines (CCMP) 541 Children’s Ministries 543 International Correspondence Institute (ICI) 548 Convoy of Hope (COH) 551 Every Person Household OIKOS Discipled (EPHOD) 553 Nationwide Evangelists 554 32 MINISTRIES IN NORTHERN AND CENTRAL LUZON, MANILA, MINDORO AND PALAWAN 557 Northern Luzon 557 King’s Garden Children’s Home (KGCH) 559 Metro Manila Region 562 Bethel Bible College 562 Mindoro 573 Palawan 574 33 BICOL AND THE VISAYAS 577 Bicol 577 Western Visayas 585 Central Visayas 587 IBC 589 Eastern Visayas 590 34 MINDANAO IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM 591 Family Circus in Davao 591 Northern Mindanao 594 35 SUMMARY AND ASSESSMENT 599 ABBREVIATION 611 INDEX OF NAMES 615 ENDNOTES 627 x MAP OF THE PHILIPPINES xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS would like to give thanks first of all to Jesus, who gives life meaning I and purpose. My wife, Debbie, believed in the project from the beginning, supported me through it, and thoroughly edited the contents several times over the last eight months. If the final product is any good at all, she deserves much of the credit. Gloria Robinett from the Assemblies of God World Missions Archives in Springfield, Missouri, provided an estimated two to three thousand pages of missionaries’ newsletters and many other documents. Without Gloria’s help, this project would not have been possible. Her assistant, Nathan Reighard, provided most of the photos used. Rose Engcoy from the Asia Pacific Research Center on the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary campus in Baguio City, Philippines, also provided a number of materials and was an invaluable in getting interviews transcribed. The late Jim Denton provided dozens of old letters that his missionary parents, Rev. Warren and Marjorie Denton, Sr., had written home during their years of service, giving an unvarnished snapshot of missionary life in the Philippines in their era. Other former and current missionaries also sent materials, the most notable being the Rev. Calvin Zeissler. Rev. Rey Calusay, the current General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in the Philippines read an advanced draft of the manuscript and verbally endorsed the project. One of his predecessors, Dr. Eli Javier, read over parts of the manuscript and was particularly helpful in navigating the maze of the Bethel Temple issue of the 1960s and 1970s. Roz Goodall helped with some early editorial advice on part of one of the early drafts that helped us know what to start cutting out and how to frame the book into chapters. Dr. Bill Menzies read part of the rough draft and made some helpful comments. Donna Swinford was the editor for grammar and style and had a lot of technical help from her husband, Larry. Working with the author on the other side of the world was a real challenge at times xii but they rose to the occasion quite well. Research assistants Alan and Rachel Esplana, Randy Bromahon, and Ronald Buenconsejo transcribed hundreds of note cards from which the rough draft was written. Drs. John Carter and Paul Klahr, along with Alice Horne, all former missionaries to the Philippines, served as the approval committee which was formed to help ensure that the book was historically accurate, and that I didn’t say anything unnecessarily offensive.