UBAY, BOHOL — Over 400 church leaders, members, and delegates from across Bohol gathered for the province-wide Stewardship Summit on October 23 and 24 at Casate, Ubay.
Organized by the Central Visayan Conference Stewardship Department, the event featured spiritual programs and focused lectures on key stewardship topics, including planned giving, leadership, loyalty, and financial stewardship.
The summit opened Friday afternoon, October 23, with devotionals, music presentations from district groups, and foundational lectures during the vesper program. It continued through Saturday, with strong attendance and active participation until its conclusion.
“I thought the attendance would decrease during the afternoon session, but to my surprise, the participants remained present and engaged in the meeting. This clearly shows that church members today are more than willing to learn how to become good stewards of God’s blessings,” Pastor Ildefonso Baquilabat, field secretary and stewardship director of the East Central Philippine Union Conference, shared.
Focus on the Four Elements of Stewardship
The summit centered on the four elements of stewardship, with speakers emphasizing a holistic approach that extends beyond finances. Speakers also believe this approach creates a more meaningful and lasting impact.
Pastor Baquilabat explored the theme “Loyal and Loving Stewards,” emphasizing that biblical stewardship extends beyond finances and includes a believer’s character, motivation, and relationship with God.
“Stewardship becomes even more meaningful and interesting when God remains at the center of our lives, rather than focusing exclusively on financial matters. After all, stewardship encompasses not only our finances but also our time, talents, resources, and, most importantly, our commitment to serving God,” Baquilabat said.
Pastor Mariano Salloman, former stewardship director for the Central Philippine Union Conference, spoke on planned giving and legacy-building to sustain church missions for future generations.
While regular tithes and offerings support daily church operations and evangelism, planned giving involves long-term planning. It enables believers to manage assets such as real estate, retirement accounts, or stocks, ensuring continued support for missions, education, and outreach after their lifetime.
Moreover, Pastor Ceriaco Valencia, ministerial, chaplaincy, and trust director for the Adventist church in Central Visayas, addressed the vital role of church leadership.
Valencia spoke on ‘Elders and Officers of the Church as Stewards,’ reminding leaders that church office is a sacred trust. Local officers are called to serve as frontline stewards, guiding, protecting, and nurturing the congregation’s spiritual life.
“We are managers of God’s flock, accountable to the Chief Shepherd. Let us lead not with pride or mere administrative routine, but with humility, guarding the purity of His truth, protecting our congregations in unity, and serving as faithful examples,” Valencia said. “ May we govern His house with integrity until He comes.”
Moreover, Pastor Romeo Ilustrisimo, CVC stewardship director, addressed the connection between faith and finances in his talk on ‘Stewardship of Treasure.’ He explained that God entrusts wealth and resources, and that faithfully managing tithes, offerings, and possessions demonstrates spiritual maturity and allegiance.
Bringing the concepts to a household level, Belce Glicere Baquilabat, administrative assistant to a director at the ECPUC, led a session on family financial management. She addressed how households can manage income, debt, savings and spending as an expression of Christian stewardship.
Attendees noted the summit clarified church practices and broadened their understanding of the topic. “Many of my questions about tithes and offerings were answered,” one attendee said. “Aside from that, I understand the scope and meaning of stewardship better, and I know that my impression resonates with all the rest of the attendees.”
By Lyn Lucero, East Central Philippine Union Conference Communications