A group of Adventist lay people in the Southern Philippines teamed up to participate in the Total Member Involvement initiative by holding a public evangelistic meeting, which resulted in the baptism of 370 precious souls. The members of the team, who are all from a wide range of lay professional backgrounds, took turns preaching, singing, and giving lectures every night of the weeklong campaign held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte from June 31 to July 6, 2019.

Most of the team members trace the origins of their missionary zeal to more than 30 years ago when they were students of Mountain View College in the province of Bukidnon. Chalmer Givieso, now a judge, described how, while attending MVC, they formed the singing group “Royal Syncrasy,” using Adventist Literature and music to reach out to the surrounding communities and cities. After three decades, they managed to contact the group members again and rekindle their missionary spirit by deciding to have a public evangelistic meeting.

With the financial and moral support of church leadership from the Southern Asia-Pacific Division, South Philippine Union Conference, and Davao Mission, the event was realized. Church members and pastors joined together in the soul-winning effort.

During the baptism ceremony, Joselito Romero, one of the newly baptized members, was seen raising his hand in gratitude as he kept telling people, “I am now a Seventh-day Adventist!” As he was congratulated by Daryl Gay Atiteo-Tanamal, SSD Associate Treasurer, he whispered, “I will be a Seventh-day Adventist till my last breath.”

Encouraged by the result of this evangelistic endeavor, this group has committed to sponsor one public evangelistic meeting every year in places around South Philippine Union Conference territory.

This article was originally published on the Southern Asia-Pacific Division’s news site