Filipino Methodist History

04/11/2021

THE CHRISTMAS INSTITUTE STORY

Want to learn more about how the Christmas Institue began? Here's a lecture that was commissioned for its year-long Centennial Celebration. This is an improved version of the one that was presented during the CI Centennial Commission's "Unang Kabanata" last month.

Runtime: 34 minutes

09/28/2020

Here's a video worth sharing on this page! It's for a message I've recorded for the Northwest District of the Quezon City Philippine Annual Conference East for their Christian Education Month and shown on September 27, 2020. I was asked to preach on the theme “Re-establishing Our Wesleyan Roots amidst the Pandemic” on a text they have selected. May you be connected to our rich Wesleyan roots!

Title: Re-establishing Our Wesleyan Roots
Text: Acts 2:17-21

“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” - Acts 2:17

03/05/2018

Happy 119th birthday to The United Methodist Church in the Philippines!!!

On Sunday morning, March 5, 1899, Bishop James M. Thoburn held a worship service at Teatro Filipino on Echague St. (now Palanca) corner San Roque St., Quiapo, Manila (now SM Quiapo). Thoburn came at the behest of the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (now GBGM), the official missionary-sending agency of the denomination. Hence, this marks the birth of Methodism in the Philippines. In his diary, Thoburn described the historic event:

"At 9:20 A.M. I went to the theatre and found a dozen soldiers at the door and a few others. We went in and somewhat slowly over seventy persons came in and took seats in the main floor while from thirty to 50 Filipinos stood without the railing. Things moved slowly at first but when I began to preach the Spirit wonderfully helped." (James M. Thoburn, 5 March 1899, Diaries and Journals, 1857–1918, Allegheny College Library, Meadville, Pennsylvania.)

The gathering resulted in the establishment of the "Soldier's Institute," in a rented building on Plaza de Goiti (now Plaza Lacson) in Sta. Cruz., and a congregation that gathered there every Sunday morning. Composed mainly of American soldiers, chaplains, and civilians, this congregation became known as the “American Church,” and later “Central Church” or Central MEC after moving to a permanent building on December 23, 1901, on the corner of San Luis and Nozaleda Streets in Ermita.

Three months later, the first Filipino Methodist congregation also emerged at the Soldier's Institute when a Spanish service was organized at the request of five Filipino Freemasons. The first service began on Sunday, May 28, 1899, at three o’clock in the afternoon with about fifteen people in attendance. The event marked the birth of the first Filipino Methodist congregation in the country or the “First Filipino Church.” This Filipino congregation would later find its permanent home in Cervantes Street where it became Knox Memorial MEC.

For more details, see 'Spirit-filled Protestantism: Holiness-Pentecostal Revivals and the Making of Filipino Methodist Identity' (2017), 31-39. https://wipfandstock.com/spirit-filled-protestantism.html or https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Filled-Protestan…/…/1498203604

10/15/2017

'SPIRIT-FILLED PROTESTANTISM: Holiness-Pentecostal Revivals and the Making of Filipino Methodist Identity' just came off the press!

The book features six chapters on the history of Methodism in the Philippines with the addition of more than 30 images. It is now available for order in the following online bookstores:

1) Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Filled-Protestantism-Holiness-Pentecostal-Revivals-Methodist/dp/1498203604/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1507925125&sr=8-1)

2) Wipf & Stock - https://wipfandstock.com/spirit-filled-protestantism.html

Cover photo: District Superintendent Joshua F. Cottingham preaching before a gathering of Methodist workers from Central District at Malolos Methodist Episcopal Church, Liang, Malolos, Bulacan, c. 1916–17: (seated behind, left to right) Dionisio D. Alejandro, Victorino Jorda, unidentified. The backdrop reads "Christ is All and for All" (Colossians 3:11) in Tagalog.

Cover photo: District Superintendent Joshua F. Cottingham preaching before a gathering of Methodist workers from Central District, Malolos Methodist Episcopal Church, Liang, Malolos, Bulacan, c. 1916–17: (seated behind, left to right) Dionisio D. Alejandro, Victorino Jorda, unidentified. The backdrop reads "Christ is All and for All" (Colossians 3:11) in Tagalog.

06/18/2013

In the summer of 1911, Dionisio Deista Alejandro, a young and promising lad from Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija arrived at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky to pursue an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and prepare himself for the ministry. Upon his return to the homeland in August 1915, he was appointed district evangelist for Central District (Bulacan and Nueva Ecija), a task which he performed with great distinction. He later became the editor of the Tagalog monthly 'Mabuting Balita' and instructor at Union Theological Seminary, Manila. In 1924, he was appointed pastor of the English speaking congregation of Knox Methodist Episcopal Church. Twenty years later (1944) he became the first Filipino to be elected bishop of the Methodist Church.

Photo: D.D Alejandro at age 20 or 21 (1914). Courtesy of the Asbury University Archives.

02/14/2012

Here's my sermon last Sunday, the fourth in a series on Discipleship.

Title: I Do Choose
Text: Mark 1:40-45
Date: February 12, 2012

11/18/2011

Here's my sermon last Sunday (Nov. 13). It's a follow-up to my previous sermon on the Second Coming. Text: 1 Thess. 5:1-11. May you be filled with great hope!

11/09/2011

Here's my sermon last Sunday (Nov. 6) as we observed All Saints Sunday. What happens to those who have "fallen asleep"? What happens when Jesus returns? Listen to what Paul has to say in 1 Thess. 4:13-18. God bless!

11/03/2011

Here's my sermon last Sunday (Oct. 30), the last one in our Stewardship series: "Extravagant Generosity". Text: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. Our emphasis was on "Stewardship of Finances". This sermon is based from Bishop Robert Schnase's seminal book, "Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations".