Introducing our Presiding Ministry  
 

A new ministry has emerged at the Filipino International Church which is equipping its members and enabling them to serve in a new way. Kit Torres explains more 

The Filipino International Church which was established in 2013, led by Pastor Virgilio Pansacala, has emerged from a very small church community to a vast number of families attending the church service. Several ministries have since then evolved, including a women's, men's, youth, children, and music ministry.

A new ministry was established on 17 January - the Presiding Ministry. The Presiding Ministry aims to provide trained presiders who will lead the church in services either online or live worship and to host major church activities and events. Perhaps such a ministry is not very common to other Baptist churches but through time, the church had the urge and need to develop people with skills in speaking, mainly with the heart, dedication, and willingness to learn and to be used in the ministry.

The idea and structure of the ministry was proposed by elder Kit Torres, a regular host and presider. The proposal was  presented to Pastor Pansacala and deacon Tomas Aquino. After careful planning and deliberation, the new ministry has emerged and become a reality.

The announcement was made and the acknowledgment was truly immense: 20 members have signed up and are all willing to serve.

The ministry believes that public speaking can be improved and developed as long as the person has the humility and  willingness to be enriched and cultivated. The ministry stands by God's word in Psalm 100:2 "Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with exultation." For the Lord is a sovereign God who knows our desires to serve. The ministry believes that in service to Christ, no one is indispensable. You can't boast about your talent and abilities because it's only by God's grace that you are sustained and provided.

Due to the physical constraints of the pandemic, brainstorming and public speaking tips are done via a Facebook page and group chat. Currently, The Filipino International Church has two services every Sunday, morning and afternoon. A timetable is set and the Presiding Ministry members work hand in hand to give their availabilities to cover each Sunday services as the presider. The timetable is fully covered up to the month of May, indicating an outstanding response. 

The Presiding Ministry is now going strong and thriving by God's grace with the leadership of deacon Tomas Aquino and elder Kit Torres as the coordinator under the supervision of Pastor Virgilio Pansacala.

It aims to inspire other members to have the courage and step out to find a ministry in which they could serve and be utilised for God's work  in the fulfilment of biblically defined mandates. First is the fulfilment of the Great Commandant of our Lord: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbour as yourself ", (Matt.22: 37,39) and secondly defined in the terms of Great Commission of our Lord : “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20).

May the Lord bless this ministry from strength to strength and may it serve with gladness and perseverance until our Saviour's second coming.

The following are the Presiding Ministry members:

Aquino, Tomas
Arca,Noah
Baricaua, Ferdee
Cadagat, Leonila
Corpuz, Jacqui
Dela Cruz, Gilbert
Dela Cruz, Juliet
Delos Santos, Helen
Duterte, Gel
Gunayon, Roderick
Hall, Ossie
Kirsoppe Eve
Pansacala, Lucy
Primero Florybeth
Primero Rodolfo
Puso, Irene
Retino, Rijen
Te, Michael
Torres, Kit
Wood, Jocelyn
 

Kit Torres is an elder at the Filipino International Church, which is part of the Northern Baptist Association