CAMACOP HISTORY 1

AHD Lecture—JANUARY 13, 2023

 Philippine History
• Ferdinand Magellan came from Spain in 1521 and
landed in Limasawa in the central Philippines.

• Since then, the Spaniards controlled the Philippines for

300 years with government officials and Spanish
Catholic missionaries.

• Roman Catholicism was the official religion and

everyone was expected to be a member.
 Philippine History
• The 1990 census indicates that 82.5% of the population
still claim membership in the Roman Catholic church.

• Today, the Philippine Statistics Authority in October

2015 reported that 80.58% (74,211,896 out of 92,097,978)
of the total Filipino population were Roman Catholics,
and 5.57% were Islamic.
 Philippine History
• The revolution by Filipino nationalists against Spain
began in 1896.

• The Philippines attempted to free itself from Spain but

as “spoils of war” came under United States jurisdiction
and control.

• The most important change in connection with our

study was that, Protestant Missionaries were allowed to
enter the Philippines for the first time.

• Protestants aresometimes known as the “people of the

Book” as missionaries brought along bibles when they
came.
“MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
• Protestant sending missionaries met together to pln
how to best bring the Gospel to the Philippines.

• They decided to form a “Mission Comity Agreement”.

• 8 denominations signed the first agreement, including

the Seventh Day Adventist but later decided to leave
the agreement so they could work thoughout all the
Philippines.
 “MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
DENOMINATION AREA IN THE PHILIPPINES
Methodists Most of lowland Luzon north of Manila
Presbyterians Bicol, southern tagalog area and parts of
the western Visayas
United Brethren Mountain Province and La Union
Province
Disciples of Christ Ilocos, Abra and some Tagalog towns
Northern Baptists Some parts of the western Visayas
Congregationalists Mindanao, except the western part
C&MA Western Mindanao and the Sulu Region
The city of Manila was open to all groups
“MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
• Seventy years later, in the 1970’s, this difficult area
became the island most responsive to the Gospel.

• In 1899, James B. Rodgers a Presbyterian arrived in

Manila while it was under control of the American
forces.

• The “Comity Agreement” worked and in four years the

seven mission groups all had missionaries in the
Philippines.
 “MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
• After second world war, the agreement became
unworkable for three main reason:

1. People are transferring to different parts of the

Philippines

2. Many missionary organizations came to the

Philippines who were not part of the Agreement

3. The term evangelical became difficult to use as a

common name
 “MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
1. People are transferring to different parts of the
Philippines
✔ As people transferred from one place to another they
took their form or style of worship along, including the
different languages as each church worshipped in the
language of its members.
✔ Migration within the Philippines increased rapidly after
World War 2.
 “MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
2. Many missionary organizations came to the Philippines
who were not part of the Agreement
✔ The new groups did not want to be restricted by the
Comity
✔ Differences among denominations became stronger and
there seemed to be less unity and fellowship.
✔ The boundary lines between groups became difficult to
maintain.
 “MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
3. The term evangelical became difficult to use as a
common name.
✔ The doctrinal difference in churches became so great that
the term “evangelical” became difficult to use as a
common name.
✔ The churches in the agreement were to have one name for
the churches with their denominational affiliation below
it.
✔ All the churches were to be called “The Evangelical
Church” with “CMA” or “Baptist” or “Disciples” etc. below
it.
 “MISSION COMITY AGREEMENT”
⌘ The comity finally ended with both good and bad
results.

⌘ It was bad because the sense of organization and unity

was broken. In some places this hindered the work.

⌘ It was good because it meant more freedom of choice

for new converts.

⌘ Many new groups coming to the Philippines as

reinforcements were able to go to the most responsive
areas of the nation and help spread the Gospel more
rapidly.
EARLY ALLIANCE WORK
1901—1946
 First Missionaries
• The area where the Alliance was assigned included
Davao, Cotabato and Zamboanga.

• The first Alliance missionary to the Philippines was

Miss Ella White in 1901.

• The Alliance sent another missionary in 1902, John A.

McKee an Alliance layman.

• His plan was to start a vocational program among the

Muslims and other tribes to help make the mission
self-supporting.
 First Missionaries
• Some independent missionaries began a work that later
became part of the C&MA—Charles Carlson and
William Abell.

• They began a church in Tetuan, Zamboanga City which

became C&MA.

• In 1902, they built the first evangelical church building

in Mindanao.
 First Missionaries
• David & Hulda Lund also came to Zamboanga City as
independent missionaries.

• They started a school for girls and one for boys known
as “Ebenezer School.”

• This later became the Ebenezer Bible College.

• More C&MA missionaries came in 1907.

• The Lunds later join the Alliance.

 First Missionaries
• From 1911—1924, eight (8) C&MA missionaries arrived
in the Philippines.

• By 1914 there were more than 100 members in the

Tetuan church.

• Finally in 1924, the missionaries became so discourage

they decided to give up and go to another mission field
or just go home.
Robert Jaffray
✧ In 1925, he came to the
Philippines at the request of
the C&MA board.
✧ He recommended putting up
a Bible training school.
✧ In 1926 the missionaries
decided to begin the
Ebenezer Bible Institute. In
1928, it opened.
 First Missionaries
• When World War II started, forty (40) Alliance
Missionaries were working in the Philippines.

• While foreign missionaries went into hiding and

eventually most were put into concentration camps,
Filipino missionaries were less hindered in their
movement by the Japanese.

• More alliance members assist their pastors carry on

ministries left by the missionaries.
 First Missionaries
• Instead of slowing down, the Alliance ministry went
forward during the war.

• Many Filipinos were prepared and took positions of

leadership and ministry in the church.

• World War II was a time when the process was

accelerated and Filipino leadership took on more
responsibility.

• This prepared the way for a change in policy after the

war because Filipino leaders were already established.
The Founding of CAMACOP
 CAMACOP
• After more than 400 years of Spanish, American and
Japanese control, the Philippines was at last allowed to
rule itself.

• The Philippines became a Republic on July 4, 1946.

• Much later the Republic declared that independence

should be counted from June 12, 1898
 CAMACOP
• For 45 years, the Alliance Missionaries and Filipinos had
been working together and it was time to formalize
Filipino leadership.

• In 1947, CAMACOP was officially organized, although it

was legally registered only in 1949.
 CAMACOP
• In May 1946, the Chairman of the Christian and
Missionary Alliance Mission, Rev. Ralph Bressler, and
Filipino leaders of the Alliance decided to organized
the Alliance in the Philippines.

• In February 1947 the Alliance pastors and lady ministers

gathered for the first Filipino National Workers
Conference of the C&MA.

• At this time, the Alliance work was officially organized

with 13 self-supporting churches as charter members.
 CAMACOP
• There were 42 churches and groups in 1947 but only the
self-supporting churches were charter members.

• The CAMACOP’s first president, Rev. Jeremias Dulaca,

was elected at the conference.

• He had graduated from Ebenezer in 1933.

• Rev. Dulaca served as President of CAMACOP for ten

years, from 1947 until 1957.
 CAMACOP
• In 1948, the second conference was held and the
number of self-supporting churches had doubled from
13 to 26.

• Only the delegates who represented churches which

were self-supporting, or were receiving no money from
the mission, could be CAMACOP officers.

• In 1949, at the third National Workers Conference, the

first constitution was written.

• That same year, the CAMACOP was incorporated with

the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 CAMACOP
• The members signing the corporation papers were
Jeremias Dulaca, Felimon Cadungog, Alejandro Salon,
Jose Ato and Dolores Robles, all experienced pastors.

• By 1950 the Alliance had six districts in the areas of

Mindanao assigned by the Mission Comity Agreement.

• They still had much territory to cover in Mindanao and

Sulu before moving north.
 CAMACOP
• In 1957 Rev. Florentino D. de Jesus, Sr. was elected
CAMACOP’s second president for a three year term.

• He was a 1931 graduate of Ebenezer and a man of

wisdom and ability.

• The workers conference was now called the General

Assembly, in which all member churches were
represented along with the official workers.
 CAMACOP
• A fellowship which began in 1958 at the Mission guest
house in Pasay City built the first CAMACOP church
building in Luzon in 1961, the CAPITAL City Alliance
Church.

• Rev. Dulaca was again elected President in 1960, for

3-year term, making both the first and third president.

• He died very suddenly on September 18, 1962. Rev. Leo

Madrigal, vice-president assumed the presidency.
CAMACOP HISTORY 2
1960 and the present
JANUARY 13, 2023
 Quiz: Matching Type
1. Robert Jaffray A. the CAMACOP’s first
president
_______
B. the first CAMACOP church
2. Miss Ella White building in Luzon in 1961
______
C. In 1925, he came to the
Philippines at the request of
3. CAPITAL City the C&MA board and
Alliance Church recommended putting up a
______ Bible training school.

D. CAMACOP was officially

4. Rev. Jeremias Dulaca organized, although it was
______ legally registered only in 1949

5. 1947 ______ E. the first Alliance missionary

to the Philippines in 1901
 CAMACOP
• In 1949, the original CAMACOP national constitution
was adopted.

• There were four sections or Articles in the 1949

constitution.

• The objectives in Articles 2 show just what CAMACOP’s

purpose were. The objectives of this society are:
1. To bear witness regarding the entire body of revealed
Christian truth.
2. To develop strong, established, evangelistic,
missionary-spirited churches.
 CAMACOP
Rev. Leo Madrigal
• Following the sudden death of Rev. Dulaca in 1962, the
Vice-president of CAMACOP, Rev. Leodegario C.
Madrigal, became the President.

• He had graduated from Ebenezer in 1938 and was an

experienced pastor and District Superintendent.

• The following year, 1963, Rev. Madrigal was elected

President and he served until 1966.
 CAMACOP
Rev. Vicente Pada
• In 1966 Rev. Vicente Pada was elected as the fifth
President of CAMACOP.

• He graduated in 1940 at Ebenezer.

• He had been President of the Ebenezer Bible College

until his election to the presidency of CAMACOP.

• He served two three-year terms from 1966 until 1972.

• In the time that he was President, CAMACOP continued

to grow.
 CAMACOP
Rev. Leo Madrigal
• In 1972 Rev. Leo Madrigal again became the president of
CAMACOP. He was 4th and sixth president. He
completed 2 three-year terms until 1978.

• During his second time in office, CAMACOP

experienced its largest rate of growth.

• In 1972, CAMACOP had 400 churches. By 1978 there

were 800.
 CAMACOP
Dr. Benjamin P. de Jesus

• In 1978 Dr. Benjamin P. de Jesus was elected the 7th

President of CAMACOP.

• He is the son of our second President, Rev. Florentino

de Jesus Sr.

• This family has been very active in CAMACOP and well

known in the C&MA for leadership abilities and strong
Christian Character.

• He graduated from Ebenezer in 1960 and received his

Ed.D. in C.E. from Southwestern Baptist Seminary in
Texas.
 CAMACOP
Dr. Benjamin P. de Jesus

• In 1981, and again in 1985, he re-elected President for

what were now four-year terms.

• Under his leadership CAMACOP grew and expanded

into new areas in line with “the Northward Thrust”
program.

• The CAMACOP office was moved to Metro Manila.

 CAMACOP
Dr. Valmike Apuzen Sr.

• In 1989, Dr. Valmike Apuzen Sr. became eight President

of the CAMACOP in a general assembly held in Cebu
City.

• He graduated from Ebenezer Bible College in 1962.

• He received the M.Div. from the Philippine Baptist

Theological Seminary in 1976.

• He pursued Doctor of Ministry Studies at the Asia

Baptist Graduate Theological Seminary in Baguio City.
 CAMACOP
Dr. Valmike Apuzen Sr.

• Before becoming President, he had been a pastor,

District Superintendent, seminary president (ABS) and
teacher (ABS & ATS) and founder of the Philippine
Alliance College of Theology (1984).

• Because of his accomplished ministry, he had an

honorary doctorate conferred on him by EBC in 1992.
 CAMACOP

• It is important to know the presidents of CAMACOP.

During their presidencies many significant changes
took place:
• (1) new Bible Colleges and Schools were began;
• (2) new goals were set and programs developed to reach
those goals;
• (3) new districts were organized because of CAMACOP’s
growth in membership and churches.
 CAMACOP
Tetuan Working Agreement
• In June 6, 1973, another historical event took place for
CAMACOP, the first TETUAN Working Agreement (TWA)
was signed by 28 representatives of both Mission and
national church.

• It was named for Tetuan, Zamboanga City, where it was

signed.

• The Mission was represented by two departments of

Missions representatives from New York, six members of
the Local Executive Committee, and two witnesses.

• The National church was represented on the other hand by

all seven District Superintendents and eight members of the
board of Directors.
 CAMACOP
Tetuan Working Agreement
• One part of the TWA was the transfer of all Mission
property to CAMACOP ownership.

• CAMACOP agreed to let the mission use some of the

buildings though they belong to CAMACOP.

• This document formalized the relationship between the

two bodies who have cooperated for 70 years,
especially since the formation of CAMACOP in 1947.
 CAMACOP

• CAMACOP is now an adult, well respected in the

evangelical circles of the Philippines and Asia.

• As of December 1991 we had 1,733 churches.

• We had 83,077 baptized members in CAMACOP as of

December 1991. These are members not including those
who attend Alliance churches.

• If we include those who attend our churches but are

not officially members and also add the families of our
members, there is a CAMACOP constituency or
community of about 170,000 Filipinos.
 CAMACOP

• CAMACOP is one of the larger evangelical

denominations in the Philippines.

• Our goal is to grow even larger.

 Lamentations 3:23-24
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not
consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.”

 Reflections:
• Almost all our CAMACOP presidents had Graduate
Degrees and Doctorate degrees starting 1978.

• CAMACOP grew rapidly in time through the efforts of

our dedicated laymen, pastors and leaders.