From Mission Field to Missionary

By Ernesto Rivera as told to Kristen Stagg

When the Association of Baptists for Evangelism in the Orient started in the Philippines in 1927, there were only five full-time missionaries on the field. Those early missionaries-and the others who joined them-were committed to reaching Filipinos for Christ and equipping them to reach their own people with the gospel.

Ernesto Rivera was a young teenager at the end of World War II. Seeing the horror visited on his island, he was ready to respond when a Filipino (who had been led to the Lord by an ABWE missionary) led Ernesto to the Lord.

The young man had no thought of becoming a pastor. Like Moses, when God called him to speak, Ernesto had many excuses why he should not obey: "Let someone else do it; I'm from a poor family; I can't afford schooling." Ernesto finally agreed to follow God's leading, and graduated from Doane Baptist Seminary in Iloilo, the school started by ABWE's first missionary, Dr. Raphael Thomas. While at Doane, Ernesto and fellow students were instructed by Mona Kemery. "You men remember the ministry is tough. The average life span is only 40 years." Already 27, Ernesto figured he didn't have many years left and had to serve the Lord fervently in what time remained.

His first pastorate was in a remote barrio (village) in a congregation started by Humbert Tentarelli. Ernesto's monthly salary was 40 pesos, the equivalent of U.S. $1. Illness and lack of church property in the mud-infested village where his small family labored weighed heavily on the young pastor's mind.

In a recent interview in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he recalled, "In those days, a Filipino pastor had to be jack-of-all-trades: pastor, janitor, counselor. Many pastors had to hold full-time jobs besides."

Now, 43 years later with an earned doctorate degree, Ernesto Rivera has faithfully served in church planting well past the 40 years of age Mona Kemery outlined in 1956; his pastoral ministry alone has lasted 43 years. His congregation in Mindanao reproduced six daughter churches, which in turn have born grand-daughter congregations.

"The missionaries initially did all the work, then turned it over to Filipino pastors. Then we did all the work until people in our congregations were trained to take responsibility," Dr. Rivera said.

Although the Filipino Association of Baptist Churches contains hundreds of member churches, Dr. Rivera is concerned for the many cities and towns where there is still no fundamental church. "Botany teaches that where there is life, there must be growth," he said. "The same is true of churches. Vibrant churches MUST grow. But, like childbirth, the growth process is not without pain. It bears a cost."

The strategy of ABWE 70 years ago-to turn church planting work over to Filipinos-was right, Dr. Rivera observed. "But I don't believe ABWE will completely disappear out of the picture because of the heritage its missionaries have given the Filipino Christians."

In fact, Dr. Rivera foresees more joint ventures between North Americans and Filipinos. During his three-month pulpit supply in a multicultural congregation in California, pastored by a young man whom he led to the Lord at a funeral, Dr. Rivera challenged several Americans to "come over and help us." He asked them, "If God directed you to the Philippines, would you come?"

That is the question facing each of us today: When we ask God to send forth workers into His harvest fields, are we willing to be the answer to those prayers?

This year, Doane Baptist Seminary celebrated its 75th anniversary, while Baptist Bible Seminary & Institute in Manila, another school started by Raphael Thomas, graduated 54 men and women with Th.B. or B.R.E. degrees.

In addition to pastoring Faith Baptist Church of Cagayan de Oro City, Ernesto Rivera is president of the board of the Association of Baptists for Philippine Evangelism, and a member of the board of PABWE the Philippine Association of Baptists for World Evangelism.