PASTOR MERVIN

TRIBAL CHURCH PLANTER
Davao, Philippines

Once a grocery bagger, now a pastor. Once was lost but now found. The grace of the Lord saved me and called me to His path. I am a full-time pastor in Independent Baptist Churches in the Philippines at Pantukan, Compostela Valley Davao Oriental. I am in my fifth year of service now and still climbing up the mountain to fulfill what the LORD called me to do. My first assignment was in the highland of Calinan, Davao City, wherein we put up one church for the Lumad people.

Our church has been encouraged to reach more Tribal groups up in the mountain to make the gospel accessible and available to them. Our ministry has expanded to Compostela Valley wherein we built five churches, all within five years by God’s grace.

The worship service is regularly attended by the Mandaya’s, a tribal group. Seeing the growth of the ministry wherein many lives are brought to our Lord Jesus Christ seems to be a fulfilling one, however, a lot of work has yet to be done for the harvest are many, but the workers are few.

OUR MINISTRIES

As of today, the church is building two more churches in the mountains where most of our Mansaka Tribe lives. This tribe cleaves to traditional ways despite the missionary activities done to their locale. It is the earnest prayer of the church to bring salvation to this tribe by presenting them a physical church and by assuring them that they belong to the Kingdom of God. We believed that the church is really important because it reveals Christ, and even Christ reveals God in human flesh (1 Timothy 3:14-16). Christ is being revealed to these indigenous people to turn back from their ancestral beliefs and practices, and to help them live to the truth and to the knowledge of God’s Word.