by Victor A. Violenta, Jr. & Cristine C. Atrero
Zambales District celebrated with a Thanksgiving Assembly at San Antonio Youth Center last 21 November 2009. The theme was “Pasalamatan Ang Dios Na Pinagmumulan Ng Pag-asa.” Bishop Lito C. Tangonan was the guest preacher, and over 500 members  attended. This was also in line with the district’s vision to establish a local church in San Antonio, Zambales. It is the only town in the province that does not yet have a United Methodist Church. The activity started with a …

by Nitz E. Nicolas

People from both the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), including the members of the PCU management committee, faculty, clergy and lay were witnesses to the signing of the Deed of Reconveyance of lot-title to the Philippine Christian University – Union Theological Seminary (PCU-UTS) at Taft Campus, Manila on 22 October 2009.

For the last 10 years, the UMC through the Philippines Central Conference (PCC) and UCCP, which are partners in the PCU-UTS merger, have been confronted with a …

by Mervin Montano

With the theme “Together in Mission Towards a Future with Hope”, the Southern Tagalog Provisional Philippines Annual Conference East (STPPACE) held its first annual Workers’ Convocation at the PACE-Conference Site at Kaytikling, Taytay, Rizal from 18-20 November 2009.

On its first year of existence as a provisional annual conference, the former Laguna-Quezon Mission District faces the challenge of mission work, making this the main focus of the 3-day event.

Recent typhoon Ondoy and Santi hit Laguna heavily, sparing no one in the community. It is in this light that …

A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom*
Updated Jan. 16, 2010 | 5:30 pm EST

The Rev. Sam Dixon came to Haiti to make life better for the poor and afflicted.
As the leader of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, Dixon traveled the world assisting Indonesians whose homes were washed away by the tsunami, Africans whose crops had withered under unrelenting drought and Americans needing shelter after tornadoes destroyed their neighborhoods.
So it came as a shock Jan. 16 when, after four days when hopes dimmed and were raised again with reports of his …

by Nitz Nicolas

Being in relevant and sensitive positions in the church, 19 newly appointed and non-’graduating’ District Superintendents (DS) of the Manila Episcopal Area (MEA) underwent an orientation-seminar emphasizing conflict transformation at the UCCP Shalom Center, Ermita, Manila from 26 to 27 November 2009.

“Being a DS is a holy calling. It is important to renew a vision on conflict transformation. And his first role is to create a listening environment”, quipped Rev. Dr. Jose Sotto, one of the six resource persons during the seminar. The lecture was highlighted …

by Caroline Abalos-Santos

The Pampanga Philippines Annual Conference’s (PamPAC) Board of the Ordained Ministry (BOOM) conducted a workers’ study session and fellowship last 25 October 2009 at Doña Margarita Resort, Balas, Mexico, Pampanga. This event was designed and developed by the BOOM in accordance with the four quadrennial thrusts.

The study session was concerned primarily with the enhancement of church leadership. It challenged workers to continue their education with zeal and helped them to utilise their fullest potential in order to fulfill the mission they were called to.

Rev. Ciriaco Francisco …

by Prudencio I. Peralta
“Pastor, akyat na po tayo sa bubong, mataas na ang baha” were the trembling words of Jean, my deaconess, as the water reached my waist and the church’s musical instruments started to submerge.

I was having breakfast with my wife when Bro. Sonny, our temple-keeper, announced that the water would soon get inside the church. My son Gamaliel was watching his new DVD movie. It was 6.30. By 9.00 AM Bro. Sonny’s prediction had become reality. The church was inundated. The current was so strong we couldn’t even …

by Norma P Dollaga, KASIMBAYAN

“All I wanted in my life is a good harvest to feed myself and family” are the words of Orong Namansulay, a 19-year-old member of the Higaonan, a tribe within the Lumad indigenous peoples in Agusan Del Sur in Mindanao.

Orong has dark eyes, and his bronzed skin reveals the color of an indigenous person exposed to the heat of a sun. He bears a typical posture of a shy-type country guy who would always send a gesture that he is inferior to the one he …

The California-Nevada Annual Conference (Cal-Nev) Volunteers In Mission (VIM) Medical-Dental Team will be on their Philippines 2010 tour beginning this January. They will be performing mission work on the following dates :

30 Jan    Kaunlaran UMC, Navotas
06 Feb    Marikina UMC
– Feb    Hope Medical Center, Banaue, Ifugao Province
26 Feb    Santiago, Isabela

The VIM team has been visiting the Philippines annually for the last 5 years to provide medical, dental and eye care to specific mission sites in partnership with local churches. This year’s team is composed of Rev. Paul and Virginia …

by Johann M. Osias

The Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters (SCCCM) of the United Methodist Church held  the first of its regular meetings last October 23-25, 2009.  Their venue was the historic Scarritt-Bennett Conference Center in Nashville, Tennessee. There were 39 members present, led by its Chairperson Bishop Patrick Streiff of the Central and Southern Europe Episcopal Area. The SCCCM consists of lay and clergy representatives from Central Conferences and the 5 Jurisdictions of the denomination, including representatives from various agencies such as the General Board of Global Ministries …

by John B. Manalo
Each annual conference under Manila Episcopal Area is charged to  facilitate leadership and ministry development for both clergy and laity. This is the challenge that Southwest Cavite District (SWCD) of Philippines Annual Conference Cavite (PACC) is rising to. SWCD is at the forefront of developing a Training Movement that seeks to address emerging theological and ministry needs.
Methodism started as a movement under the passionate leadership of John Wesley. I am certain that if we do not act promptly and accordingly, this movement founded by our forebears shall …

The official quarterly publication of Manila Episcopal Area, MEALAB, is now available for download in its entirety.
Please click here to get your copy.
You may post your suggestions and comments below, or send them directly to MEA.UMC@gmail.com.

by Tomas Jerico Aliwalas Along with the growing clamor for change and in line with the church’s call for clean and honest elections, the United Methodist Youth Fellowship of  Philippines Annual Conference (PAC-UMYF) launched their own moral force movement dubbed  Moral Force Youth. The launch, with the theme “Kabataan Anong Say Mo? Tayo ang Pagbabago”, was held at Pandacan United Methodist Church on 29 November 2009. The activity was attended by young people from the two districts of PAC: Southwest Metro Manila District (SWMMD) and Northwest Metro …

by Nitz E. Nicolas
Made possible through the help and leadership of our district superintendents, their respective pastors and lay leaders, relief operations were conducted in Laguna, San Roque, Bauan, Batangas and Isabela on different dates. Certain areas, like Biñan in Laguna are still submerged in water.
One hundred bags of relief goods were distributed to the community in cooperation with Asuncion A. Perez Memorial Center, Inc. (AAPMCI). St. Mark UMC also distributed relief goods in Laguna.
Following is the list of donors to  MEALAB-KAMALIG and AAPMCI for the period October 20 …