There are now 2,506 local Alliance churches in the Philippines. This makes the CAMACOP (C&MA of the Philippines) larger than the US Alliance when it comes to number of local churches. The definition of "church" being used is an assembly of at least 25 baptized believers organized with elders and officers. CAMACOP's goal is to continue planting churches to reach 3,000 congregations by 2010. 80% of these church plants are being launched from already existing churches.
CAMACOP now has 54 missionaries it has sent out. Many are "tentmakers" requiring only partial funding or in some cases no funding. In addition to the 54 missionaries, there are thousands of CAMACOP believers employed outside the Philippines who take their faith in Christ with them wherever they go. Many of these Filipino believers are in countries closed to professional missionaries.
The Alliance Graduate School (formerly called Alliance Bible Seminary) now has 16 centers established where modular courses are taught. The aim is to take the seminary to the local church, providing opportunities for those serving in the local church to continue their education at the master's level without having to leave their ministries, families, and homes. In the next three years, the goal is to have 1,500 students enrolled in this innovative program.
While visiting with CAMACOP leaders recently in Manila, we talked together about some of them coming to the US General Council and LIFE in Orlando. Some of them are coming with a desire to connect and encourage one another. If you're at one of these events, I hope you can meet them!
Thank God for the faithful investment of so many US missionaries in the Philippines. Thank Him for the partners He's raised up there, the CAMACOP!
