Let’s rewind to 1905. Adventism was about to arrive on Philippine shores. That’s where our story about Cebu City Seventh-Day Adventist Church truly begins.
In August 1905 Robert A Caldwell received a calling. He was in Singapore then, a literature evangelist missionary. The Adventist world church headquarters in Maryland summoned him to the Philippines. Caldwell arrived in Manila that very month. As his ship sailed into Manila Bay he gazed upon the walled city. Its teeming population moved him deeply. He declared “I will sprinkle books and then like yeast they will begin to work.”
This marked the start of Adventism’s incredible journey in the Philippines. It’s a story still unfolding in countless lives. The work began humbly in Manila. Unselfish foreign missionaries led the charge.
The McElhanys and Finsters actively continued this work in 1906. They tirelessly won people over. Their hard work bore fruit. In 1908 the Central Luzon Mission formed. It was created to boost gospel work among Filipinos.
March 11 1911 was a momentous day. The first Adventist Church in the Philippines was established. It was in Santa Ana Manila. The church started with 12 baptized converts. Six Filipinos joined by profession of faith. Four missionaries completed the group. These were the Finsters and Caldwells. LV Finster trained three Filipino pastors. They were Bibiano Panis Leon Roda and Emilio Manalaysay. These men played crucial roles in Adventism’s growth. They were ordained in 1919. Panis co-led the work and became associate editor of Ang Tanglaw. This evangelistic magazine circulated nationwide.
The church expanded its reach. Finster administered work in Manila. Hay worked in Vigan Ilocos Sur. Fattebert and Stewart launched the work in Cebu City. Adams and Jornada followed up interests. These interests were sparked by Ashbaugh a literature evangelist in Jaro Iloilo. This encircled the whole of Panay Island.
Today three unions oversee Adventist work in the Philippines. These are North Philippine Union Mission Central Philippine Union Conference and South Philippine Union Conference.
The Central Philippine Union Conference is located right here in Cebu City. You can find it at 112 Gorordo Avenue Kamputhaw. It is part of a larger organization. It aligns with the Southern Asia-Pacific Division and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
The Adventist Church’s growth is impressive. From 22 members in 1911 it surged to 13537 by 1930. By 1950 the number reached 34611. As Adventists marked 100 years in the Philippines they recorded over a million baptisms.
In 1953 the South Philippine Union Mission formed. It later became the Central Philippine Union Conference. Cebu City became its headquarters. Pastor Gil de Guzman served as its first president.
In 1965 the union office in Cebu City became the Central Philippine Union Mission. A new South Philippine Union Mission was established in Mindanao.
The Central Philippine Union Mission included four missions. It also had three high schools 285 churches and nearly 29000 members. This Cebu City Seventh-Day Adventist Church stands as a testament. It embodies the enduring legacy of Adventism in the Philippines.