The historic Bi-Union Biblical and Theological Conference entered its final Sunday with strong engagement through plenary sessions that continued to center on the conference’s driving theme: “Committed to Our Identity.”
Held at the Central Philippine Adventist College (CPAC) in Murcia, Negros Occidental, this gathering united Adventist church leaders, pastors, and delegates from two union territories following a recent ecclesiastical bifurcation.
The conference featured guest speakers with advanced theological degrees and backgrounds in biblical scholarship, teaching, or leadership in theological education and church research.
Over several days, the conference featured spiritual exploration and theological presentations, covering foundational doctrines and the church’s end-time mission.
Day 1: A Grand Kick-off and Overview of the Three Angels’ Message
The conference began with fellowship and celebration, marked by a grand processional led by the CPAC Masterguide Band and Color Guards. Delegations from various missions, conferences, schools, and medical institutions marched onto the grounds, displaying their banners in colorful, elegant Filipiniana attire.
Pastor Felixian Felicitas, field secretary of the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, delivered the keynote message and tackled the conference’s central theme by posing a fundamental reflective question to the audience: “Who Are We?”
By raising this question, he introduced the event’s central emphasis: Adventist identity and how we stay committed to it.
Delving into the Biblical narrative where God assured Moses with the promise of His eternal presence (“I AM WHO I AM”), Pastor Felicitas emphasized that the cornerstone of Adventist ministry is found not in human capability, but in firm reliance on God.
“Our identity does not rest on who we are, but on who God is,” he said, stressing that as the prophetic “remnant” of the end-time—Adventists are called to keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus in a world drifting away from truth.
Day 2: Intensive Plenary Sessions on Stewardship, Identity, Last Generation Theology (LGT), and Homiletics
On the second day, the sessions focused on rigorous theological study and practical ministry application. They covered stewardship, last generation theology, and the biblical theology of the sanctuary, connecting Old Testament sanctuary types and prophecy directly to the person, work, and ministry of Jesus Christ in the Heavenly Sanctuary.
On stewardship, Dr. Aniel Barbe, associate director of stewardship ministries at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists , emphasized, “Faithful stewardship goes far beyond managing money, time, and talents. It is about living according to the standards of Eden, acknowledging God as the Giver of all things, and allowing God to use stewardship to shape believers into the image of Christ.
The Theological Discussion on Last Generation Theology (LGT)
Presentations also explored Last Generation Theology (LGT) and its teaching that a final generation will live sinlessly to vindicate God’s character. Speakers cautioned that extreme forms risk shifting security from Christ’s finished work to human performance, replacing justification by faith with justification by works, and warned against legalistic perfectionism.
Ultimately, presenters warned against perfectionist and legalistic tendencies, emphasizing instead that salvation and righteousness remain unearned gifts of grace received through faith—not an achievement of human perfection by any generation.
On the other hand, Dr. Chad Stuart, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, lectured on homiletics, exploring how to effectively structure, write, and deliver a religious message so that it is engaging, doctrinally sound, and spiritually impactful for a congregation.
“Pastors,” Stuart said, “must learn sermon planning and calendar development.” He explained that a sermon calendar helps church leaders move beyond favorite subjects, take the congregation through the entire Bible (from Old Testament narratives to epistles), and allow adequate time to study and live with a passage before preaching.
The second day’s session ended with Dr. Carl Cosaert’s message, where he addressed a fundamental question of Christian identity: Who is truly part of God’s family?
Day 3: Sabbath Worship, Plenaries on End-Time Identity, LGT, and Church Mission
On Day 3, participants observed Sabbath worship as guest speakers addressed sin, prophetic identity, and church mission.
Dr. Daniel Bediako, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and former president of Valley View University in Ghana, delivered a keynote during the Divine Hour on “The Nature of Sin,” defining sin as a fundamental human condition.
He challenged Last Generation Theology, arguing that Christ’s return is delayed because the church’s mission work is behind schedule, not because of a failure in divine timing.
Bediako returned in the afternoon to discuss Trinity, emphasizing that recognizing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three distinct, collaborative persons is vital to Christian worship, creation, and global mission.
Building on these theological themes, Dr. Clinton Wahlen, associate director of the Biblical Research Institute of the global Adventist Church, distinguished the 144,000 as a spiritually sealed remnant that stands firm through the final crisis, contrasting them with the innumerable great multitude of the redeemed from every nation.
Shifting to practical church life, Dr. Chad Stuart warned against treating pastors with superstitious reverence. Emphasizing the “priesthood of all believers,” he urged practical reforms—such as sharing visible leadership with youth and women—to ensure equal access to Jesus.
Following this, Dr. Kelvin Onongha, vice-chancellor and president of the Adventist University of Central Africa, stressed that preparing the final generation requires shifting from insular spirituality to strategic, culturally relevant community engagement tailored for younger generations.
Day 4: Commitment, Faithful Teachings, Active Service and Remnants’ Identity
As the conference entered its final phases, it sharpened its focus on eschatology, prophetic identity, Last Generation Theology (LGT), and the corporate execution of the church’s mission.
Discussions centered on faithful teachings as the foundation,
Dr. Rodney Palmer, chair of the Department of Religion and Biblical Languages and associate professor of religion at Andrews University, emphasized that faithful, Christ-centered teaching serves as the foundational “load-bearing wall” of the church, protecting the congregation from spiritual drift and anchoring unity in true doctrine.
“Internal unity should not be insular; it should directly fuel mission,” Palmer said. “Grounded in the Three Angels’ Messages, a united congregation provides the compelling witness a watching world needs, whereas a divided church undermines its own message.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Chad Stuart presented a compelling case for community-focused ministry during the recent gathering, urging congregations to look beyond internal programs and become a visible, active presence in their neighborhoods.
Drawing on behavioral science, historical precedent, and scripture, he emphasized that sustainable church growth happens organically when believers practice radical generosity, goodness, and active service. Citing the model of the early church in Acts, Stuart noted that when a faith community responds to physical needs and lives visibly different lives, it naturally wins the favor of surrounding communities, allowing God to bring growth day by day.
Moreover, Wahlen presented the remnant’s Identity: God’s end-time people, symbolized by the woman of Revelation 12—clothed in the sun (Christ’s righteousness), standing on the moon, and wearing a crown of twelve stars representing God’s complete family across both Testaments.
Armed with this identity, the remnant is tasked with taking the Three Angels’ Messages to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people globally, empowered by the Holy Spirit—symbolized in biblical agricultural motifs as the “latter rain”—and focused on Christ’s righteousness rather than speculative end-time dates.
He also exposed spiritual corruption, the call to freedom, and awakening as stated in Revelation 18: “Come out of her, My people.”
Ultimately, the conference concluded with a commitment ceremony featuring Pastor Eliezer “Joer” Barlizo Jr., first president of the East Central Philippine Union Conference, as the guest speaker. In his address, he emphasized pastoral identity, calling on leaders to serve faithfully and offer their time, effort, and loyalty in response to their divine calling.
Reflecting his lifelong dedication to ministry, he shared a powerful sentiment: “One soul is of more value to heaven than a whole world of property, a whole world of houses, a whole world of lands, and a whole world of money.”
In his closing message, Pastor Ildefonso Baquilabat—stewardship and field secretary for the ECPUC—alongside Pastor Elden Toledo, field secretary and Spirit of Prophecy director for the West Central Philippine Union Conference, expressed deep gratitude to everyone who offered support and lent a hand during the planning, preparation, and execution of the event.
Baquilabat, reflecting on the core message of the gathering, said, “We believe that Adventist identity is rooted in our unique biblical and theological understanding. This truth is not meant to be hidden, but faithfully lived and proclaimed. As a church, we must keep our identity and mission at the center as we fulfill God’s commission to share His message with the world.”
By Lyn Lucero ⎸ East Central Philippine Union Conference Communications