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The Baptist Conference of the Philippines is an association of Baptist churches in the Philippines that is affiliated with the Baptist General Conference. Work began in 1949 with five missionaries in Cebu, and on 6 June 1954 the ''Cebu Baptist Association'' was formed, later becoming the ''Baptist Conference of the Philippines'' in the 1960s. These churches are bound together by a constitution and by laws, which embodies the principles as well as the mechanics of the fellowship. Its headquarters is 910 A.S. Fortuna St., Banilad, Mandaue, Cebu 6014. ==History== In June 1950, the Baptist General Conference (BGC) Foreign Mission Board declared Northern Cebu as the area where the BGC missionary work was to begin. BCP is the direct result of the mission endeavor of the Baptist General Conference in the United States. Agnes Erikson was the first BGC missionary to the Philippines, sailing from San Francisco, California on 9 December 1948. A year later, two missionary families headed by Andrew Nelson and Irwin Bjelland followed, sailing from San Francisco on 30 October 1949 and arriving in Manila on 20 November 1949. Initial results of their work are as follows: "At the end of February 1950, Andrew Nelson reported 5 services were being conducted on Sundays near Bogo, while Irwin Bjelland reported on May 7, 1950 letter, the first Sunday service had been held." Another group was organized in the town of Catmon marked by k.m 57. The place was situated between Cebu City and Bogo. The couples Eufrosino Ares and Paterna Comain became language teachers who could speak English very well. They assisted the Hughs, Osbrons, Chesbro's and later the Chalmers family who actually lived in the place. Mr. Ares became the first chairman of the newly formed school board of Baptist Bible School tasked to help manage the 24 hec. property for the school site situated in the northern end of Cebu. Although, he did not become a pastor upon invitation due to the large family he had to support, he became involved through his profession as a teacher and his farming skills in the conception of the early missionary endeavour." The concrete result of the mission work occurred on June 1952, when the first baptismal service was held. B-Etta Mayer gave this report of the event: "The six candidates included a promising preacher and his sister. On the shore were jeering mocking, scornful friends, relatives and casual observers." Of these six, two now are still in active service: Rev. Cresenciano Batuto, Pastor Emeritus of Grace Baptist Church of Gigatangan in Naval, Biliran; and Mrs. Jacinta Batuto Sarcos, the widow of BTC President Rev. Eliseo Sarcos. In 1954, there were small Baptist churches in Bogo with 54 baptised members, and on 6 June 1954 the three churches entered into fellowship as the Cebu Baptist Association (CBA). In 1965, the CBA constitution was amended, renaming the body to Baptist Conference of the Philippines (BCP). The change was driven by fact that mission work had expanded beyond Cebu island, as churches and mission points have already been established in neighbouring provinces in the Visayas. The creation of the BCP concretised the identity of a national organisation, which developed from a simple organization into a more complex entity. As the BCP grew in number of churches and members, its area of ministry widened. Leaders too in local churches, districts and the national organization developed. This necessitated a clarification of role in its relationship with the "mother organization", the BGCPM, resulting in a series of consultations, which gave birth to a partnership. BGCPM and BCP now became partners in working together to accomplish God's purposes. The ultimate goal is always a strong and self-propagating family of Baptist churches. Rev. Marwin Linstedt wrote: "This partnership, however, is constantly updated. Times change. So do people. The original leadership gives way to next generation. The strategies of the 1950s and 1960s serve their purposes and yield to approaches that are more relevant to the 1970s and 1980s. The Philippines is a rapidly urbanizing society. During the nearly forty years covered in this story, the population of the country more than triples. Old values give way to new ones. An entirely new generation of Filipinos moves into leadership in the nation and in the churches." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Baptist Conference of the Philippines」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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