CEBU, Philippines — More than 400 attendees packed the Capitol Center Seventh-day Adventist Church each evening from July 13-18, marking a record-breaking turnout for the congregation’s “The End Time Message” seminar, which concluded Saturday with 140 baptisms.
Pastor Thomas Dodge, a retired evangelist from San Bernardino, California, conducted the nightly presentations, which were interpreted into the local language by Pastor Kim Bernabe T. Felias, the church pastor.
“An old church member told me this was the first time the church was jam-packed during an evangelistic crusade,” Mirza Felias, the church pastor’s wife, shared, amazed at how God had led such a crowd to attend the event.
Pastor Lemuel Escamos and his wife, Carol, helped organize the event, which included securing the venue and inviting the guest speaker, a fellow member of their church, the Waterman Visayan Fil-Am SDA Church in San Bernardino, California. Pastor Escamos has previously served the Adventist Church in Central Philippines as the executive secretary.
“The people listened carefully, and by God’s grace, Pastor Dodge has his way of capturing the listeners’ attention,” Mirza added.
The first baptism round took place on July 17, after 85 people responded to the appeal to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. That same evening, during the vesper service, the initial baptismal ceremony was conducted.
An additional 55 people surrendered to Christ and were baptized Saturday, the final day of the event.
“This remarkable harvest stands as a powerful testimony that God continues to work in extraordinary ways,” Pastor Felias said.
“Despite moments of uncertainty and doubt before and during the campaign, the Lord proved once again that His promises never fail. He faithfully prepared hearts, nurtured the seeds planted through His Word, and brought forth a bountiful spiritual harvest within the communities.”
On an important note, this event followed nine smaller evangelistic meetings held in various barangays throughout Cebu, which served as a lead-up to the main series.
The initiative was supported by the East Central Philippine Union Conference, the Central Visayan Conference, the Waterman Visayan Fil-Am SDA Church in California, and various private donors.
Reflecting on God’s hand at work throughout the event, Pastor Fellas expressed appreciation and gratitude to all the event’s supporters. “I’m praising God for the highly favorable outcome of this initiative. I also thank everyone who contributed their time, resources, and presence. While I cannot name every individual, please know that your dedication to this mission is both seen and valued.”
By Deomar D. Macabugwas ⎸ Head Elder ⎸ Capitol Center SDA Church