ALLIANCE OF BIBLE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.

humble beginning…

A challenging future.

History

Far Eastern Gospel Crusade, or FEGC (now SEND Int’l) started church planting missions in the Philippines after WWII, birthing several churches in the Quezon Province (south Luzon), Marinduque Islands (off the southern coasts of Luzon), Cagayan Valley (north Luzon). OMF started thereafter; primarily in the Batangas province, Bicol Province, and the Mindoro islands. Sensing the need for “fellowship in the Ministry” these churches, along with several independent, indigenous evangelical churches, decided to form an association whose primary purposes are “fellowship in the ministry” and “continuance of the mission.”

On November 1972, the group formally registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the Philippines government as the Association of Bible Churches of the Philippines (ABCOP). Through the years the need for stronger; “community-ness” was felt, and along with major amendments in the By-laws, the name was changed to Alliance of Bible Christian Communities of the Philippines (ABCCOP). This was duly registered with the SEC on July 31, 1989, with Registration Number 53919.

Member Churches

As of Dec. 31, 2007, ABCCOP has total membership of a little less than 500 Churches excluding the many unregistered daughter churches of its member Churches. A big percentage of these are ethnic Churches especially the minority people of Mangyans in Mindoro Island. As of date, ABCCOP has more than 150 Churches of the Mangyan tribes, some 10 Igorot Churches in the highlands and some pioneering works in other ethnicities like the Muslims in Sama, Tawi-tawi and the Badjaos in Davao, both in Mindanao.

Church Planting

One of the main focuses of ABCCOP is Church Planting. ABCCOP has many ways of fulfilling this Great Commission of proclaiming the Gospel and pioneering Churches such as: 1) Sending its own missionaries to targeted locations through it’s arm, the ACPLAN (ABCCOP Church Planting- ABCCOP supported missionaries); 2) partnering with International partner missions like SEND, International, Overseas Missionary Fellowship, Team Philippines and World Team; 3) Partnering with the member Churches; 4) Partnering with other organizations who share the same doctrines, visions and passion for other local ethnic groups; or 5) through its local Churches. As of date, ABCCOP has almost 200 missionaries, both local and overseas; 51 missionaries under ACPLAN and the rest, sent by the different ABCCOP member Churches to their targeted mission fields.

Most of the Churches under ABCCOP are located in Luzon. However, Visayas and Mindanao have always been part of the vision. Seven years ago, ABCCOP has started the work in Mindanao by sending missionaries to plant Churches in Davao City and Cagayan De Oro City. As of date, we now have an established church in both these cities. Two years ago, this Church in Cagayan de Oro has sent a Church planting team in partnership with TEAM Philippines to the Visayas. So far, a Church is being established in the city of Mandaue.

In 2003, in partnership with World Team and other organizations, ABCCOP has created a team for our special ethnic ministry in Tawi-tawi. In 2004, in partnership with Overseas Missionary (OMF), ABCCOP has sent two lady missionaries to Davao del Norte to plant a Church among the Manobo tribes. In that same year, city in partnership with Cristar, a single lady missionary was sent to Iligan for another ethnic ministry. Three years ago, a couple was assigned to Davao City to help our ABCCOP Church in that area plant a new Church in nearby town. In 2006, a couple was commissioned to work among the tribes of Umajumnon in Bukidnon also in paratnership with OMF. Last year, another couple was sent to Davao City for another ethnic Church planting project.

Overseas Missions

Part of ABCCOP’s vision is to multiply Churches not only locally but globally and to have an impact through out the world. Many years ago, ABCCOP has sent some missionaries to Spain and Poland in partnership with SEND’s Global Alliance Philippines (GAP, Philippines). As of date, ABCCOP has ten overseas missionaries assigned in the different parts of the world. Although ABCCOP faces a big problem of small valued currency which makes international missions very costly, ABCCOP is committed to actively participate in global missions.

Leadership Training

Because of the number of Churches that ABCCOP has and its scope of missions, one of the biggest challenges ABCCOP is facing the training of leaders to cope with the growing demand of ministry. In as much as there are many Bible schools available in the country, including our very own Bible School located in the Island of Mindoro, most of these schools are situated in the key cities of the country which makes it extremely difficult for our members in the rural areas and provinces to access. Not only is the cost extremely high in terms of tuition fees, board and lodging also cost a lot. In this regard, ABCCOP came up with a mobile school called ACTS (ABCCOP Christian Theological School) which holds classes in the many different ACTS centers in the different parts of the country. Students in the rural areas do not have to come to Manila to get theological training anymore; instead, our teachers go to where the students are to give them training. Classes are usually held within one week per module which is designed for lay people and tailored fit for their need.

As the benefits of this school became more and more visible, Metro Manila churches, which numbers about 70, also started to clamor for in-house training. Many ABCCOP people, particularly the lay people are opting for ACTS Training rather than attending Bible Schools and seminaries which almost always require them to study full-time.

Ministry and Training Center

As the ministry demands increase, the need for a training center in Manila also increases. A training center capable of housing students for a period of one week will not only answer the need of our Metro Manila churches but will also help our rural churches. For one thing, it will allow rural and provincial pastors and lay people to get more modules as they can come to Manila once in a while and not worry about board and lodging.

In 2006, in consultation with its International partner missions (SEND International, OMF, World Team and TEAM Philippines), and through its Resource and Development Committee (which is tasked to promote and oversee this project), the ABCCOP National Board called the National Council of Elders (NCE) has approved (which was later affirmed by each member churches through the National Assembly), to construct a four storey building(with a basement parking and a covered roof-top) that will serve as a Ministry/Training Center for the whole ABCCOP Community. This Ministry/training Center will be constructed at its 690 square meter property located at 102 Scout Rallos Street, Diliman, Quezon City for the following purposes:

· To serve as the Training Center for its mobile school, the ABCCOP Theological School (ACTS) providing not only training and conference rooms but a place to stay for its students who are coming from rural and provincial areas.

· To serve as the headquarters for its main office for the better administration of the whole ABCCOP community.

· To provide housing facilities for all ABCCOP national ministers (as house rentals become more and more financially unreachable for the organization).

· To provide a place for transient pastors and members coming to Metro Manila for official and/or personal purposes.

· To provide a place for children of ABCCOP members living in rural and provincial areas who are coming to Metro Manila for College and University studies.

· To provide a place for students of Christian seminaries (such a Asian Theological Seminary and Alliance Biblical Seminary) short distant to ABCCOP.

· To provide a place for its member churches for big events and formal occasions.

· To provide a place for ABCCOP for national gatherings and meeting such a ABCCOP Community Day and National Assembly.

· To provide a continuous inflow of income for ABCCOP to cope with the ever-increasing financial demand for its growing ministries.

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ALLIANCE OF BIBLE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.