Rev Francisco BilogLast May 4, 2011, I got a text message that says that there will be a Declaration of Independence by Methodists from Aurora and Nueva Ecija to be held at the UMC in Carmen, Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija. At the end of the text, it says; pass this historic act of the Holy Spirit.
I passed this to my fellow Pastor Rev. Marlon Magno and my DS and to my three key leaders in my church, the Tarlac UMC.
One of my lay leaders, textback and asked me if I’m willing to see this important event. I told him, that I’m willing to observe since I am gathering some material on church growth which I want to write later, but it is also our District Conference. Well, I will pick you up for us to go together and see, and to bring you back to your District Conference he said. So I agreed to leave with him at 9:30 a.m. since it is just a 30 minutes drive to Carmen UMC from our place in Tarlac. I asked permission from my DS Tamega to go and observe and also to my Bishop Juan who was in the U.S. for the COB Meeting.
I brought with me my camera and a UTS student to take some pictures while I talk with people. But they forbid taking pictures and took my camera. They returned my camera afterwards before I left home.
We arrived at Carmen UMC past 10a.m. and people were just arriving from different places. We met familiar faces and friends and were happy to see one another.
In a few minutes, the Carmen UMC was already filled with more or less 250 people. Bishop Lito Tangonan, the present suspended bishop of the Manila Episcopal Area by the College of Bishops in the Philippines was sitting on the first pew in front of the pulpit surrounded by his key lay people supporters.
Since, I considered myself an observer, I just stayed at the back by the door so I could greet people coming in.
A young lady stood up and led in the Praise and Worship singing with enthusiasm even among the delegates, young and old.
This was followed by a roll call of the delegates from different places done by Merlyn Sebastian of Aurora Province.
From the roll call, I learned that the delegates came from the following provinces: Cavite, Quezon City, Mindoro represented by DS Marisol Villalon, Bulacan, Bataan, Aurora, Nueva Ecija with the biggest delegation, Isabela, Cagayan and Pangasinan. There were also Professors of Union Theological Seminary like Afric Songco and Dave Pascua. Chita Framo of the Diakonia was there and Chita Milan of the World Federation of Women was also there.
It was a joyful gathering and indeed a celebration they say of “Freedom and Independence.” This was a dream come true by our forefathers they say but it could not be done by the process according to the Book of Discipline of the UMC they observed.
Bishops who run on the banner of Autonomy and won have retired and Autonomy is still a dream buried in the graveyards of our forefathers. Hence, the Carmen UMC declaration is a short-cut and an out right step to achieve the dream of autonomy in the Philippines by these people who called their Church “The Philippines Methodist Church.”
FORMAL DECLARATION OF PHILIPPINE METHODIST CHURCH
Following the roll call of delegates was the singing of the opening Hymn “God of Our Fathers” in Pilipino.
Then the formal declaration began with Merlyn Sabastian and a male partner, DS Joey Lapitan who called several speakers one after the other starting from a Police Col. Saklolo who formally declared the name of the church to be “The Philippine Methodist Church” which was met with a thundering applause and jubilation. Take Note: It was lay declaration supported by the clergy.
Then he also declared the First Bishop of the Philippine Methodist Church to be Bishop Lito Tangonan. Another joyful claps responded.
He was followed by a DS speaker who also announced that after May 7, 2011, the name of our lay organizations will be changed: the UMYF will be called, the Philippines Methodist Youth fellowship (PMYF) and so on with the other lay organizations.
It was almost noon time so I had to go home to attend Our District Conference in Tarlac, presided by our DS Marcos Tamega and to report to our district conference, this new development in our church.
Last Monday, May 9, 2011 I went back to Carmen UMC in the afternoon with Ptr. Domingo Vidad Jr. The pastor was there, Rev. Danny Pabillo who was happy to receive us with snack.
CHURCH STRUCTURE
In my talk with him, I learned that a church structure was presented in terms of conferences as follows:
1. National Conference
2. Jurisdictional Conference
3. Annual Conference
4. District Conference
5. Local Church Conference
MANNER OF ELECTION
Electing Bishop is by drawing lots. At this writing, the term of bishop and other details are still to be known. District Superintendents are no longer by appointment of the bishop but by election of the district following also the system of drawing lots.
Rev. Pabillo said that the last speaker last May 7, 2011 gathering for the declaration of Free and Independents Philippine Methodist Church from the UMC was Bishop Lito Tangonan. But he was so busy as a host pastor and was not able to know fully well what the bishop said.
LOOKING BACK AT PHILIPPINE METHODIST HISTORY
This is the third split of Philippine Methodism on record as follows:
1. 1909, Feb. 28- Rev. Nicolas Zamora, accused of charging high wedding fees and solemnizing marriage for minors without parental consent.” He responded the accusation againt him by declaring the formation of the Evangelical Methodist Church in the Philippines at St. Paul Methodist Church in Tondo, Manila. Of 30,000 Methodists at that time, 1,500 followed him.
2. 1933- at the Annual Conference in San Nicolas, Pangasinan presided by American Bishop Herbert Welch, Rev. Cipriano Navarro declared separation from the American Gen. Conf. and formed the Philippines Methodist Church due to the action of the Judicial Council to restore to the Ministry Rev. Melencio de Armas whom the Philippine Annual Conference expelled from the Ministry on the ground of adultery (immorality).
In 1948, however, the Presbyterians, the Disciples, the EUB and the Philippine Methodist Church joined together to form the present United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).
3. 2011, May 7- at Carmen UMC in Nueva Ecija, “History repeats itself” among United Methodists in the Philippines, when the followers and supporters of suspended Bishop Lito Tangonan of the UMC Manila Episcopal Area and those who were frustrated from the failure of the movement for Autonomy in the Philippines gathered themeselves to declare the new church, called “The Philippines Methodist Church.”
Actually, this is a revival of the 1933 Philippine Methodist Church which have been lost due to merger with other groups to form the present UCCP.
SOME OBSERVATIONS
The three split of Methodism were caused not by doctrine and beliefs but by three things:
1. Leadership Conflict
2. Background of nationalism
3. Background of immorality
FORTH COMING PROBLEM OF BOTH THE UMC AND THE PMC
The biggest problem of both the UMC and the Philippine Methodist Church is on the issue of church property.
1. All church properties belong and titled to the UMC whether incorporated or not by the Annual Conference or the local church.
2. The local churches under the Philippine Methodist Church shall lose their rights over UMC properties and may have to acquire properties of their own. This means they will start from the scratch. This would be a challenge of their leadership. I hope this will not end up in a long court settlement as it will be expensive. Let us pray for a peaceful and fruitful transition and settlement of our properties, and continues to relate with each other in love and in peace even as two independent bodies. We are still bounded by our common traditions, doctrines and beliefs. May God help us Amen!
Sgd. Pastor Jose L. Padang
Sr. Pastor in Mission, Tarlac UMC
May 11, 2011