DNL’s Speech during the 14th Biennial Conference of the Baptist Conference of
the Philippines held last May 9, 2006.
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| ``Hope in a Time of Uncertainty`` |
Today is a special day in the history of Tagbilaran City. Today we officially open the 14th
Biennial Conference of the Baptist Conference of the Philippines in Tagbilaran City. It is
Tagbilaran’s honor to be part of this noble and I suppose holy undertaking.
I am not privy to the activities that you intend to do for this conference. Judging by your theme:
“God’s Heartbeat for Mission”, I can only assume that it is part of the over-all task of the
Christian church to bring lost souls back to Jesus Christ.
Being a spiritual activity, soul-winning requires a lot of prayer. In this context, I believe that
a lot of prayers from God’s anointed workers in the mission field will be coming from Tagbilaran
for the duration of this conference. This is truly a blessing that will redound to Tagbilaran’s
benefit.
As a public servant, I am called upon to welcome all kinds of visitors to our city. There are
those who chose Tagbilaran because it is relevant to their activity while to others it is simply
just another venue.
As your theme suggests, this is a gathering of men, women and youths out on a mission. For the
duration of your conference, you will be preoccupied with the questions on the best ways to
respond to the challenges that you will face in the coming years.
There will be those who will not exactly welcome you gladly simply because of sectarian
differences. You must have encountered such coldness not only to the gospel but also to you in
other places including those where you come from.
It is a shame of course. Regardless of what our nameplates are, the most important consideration
is the one who is being preached. As Paul pointed out in his letter to the Philippians, the
important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.
Considering the kind of opposition you face, it is necessary for you to call on God’s provisions
because He makes all the difference. It is not what you are capable of doing but what He can do
through you that give you confidence even in an increasingly ugly and inhuman world.
It is Tagbilaran’s joy to host such an assembly. We are comforted by the thought that while you
are here, you will include us in your prayers. Hopefully, you will also pray for God’s continuing
blessings and provisions for a “Little City with Big Dreams”.
Please feel free to call on us for any assistance that we can offer. I believe that any small
gesture that we can offer to God’s workers will be credited to us. With your indulgence, I hope
you will also find time to include me in your prayers as I strive to make life a little less
difficult and sad for the many poor people in this community.
Like you, although not as pure as the task you are called upon to do, public servants are called
upon to preach the gospel of hope. While missionaries of the Baptist Conference of the Philippines
work to bring hope to people through Jesus Christ, we in the public service strive to bring hope
to an increasingly cynical people by giving them access to basic public service. Of course, we are
obligated to serve people regardless of their religious persuasions and without religious bias.
Hope is what keep people alive. It has been said that we can live for forty days without food,
eight days without water, four minutes without air, but only a few seconds without hope. You
persevere in your mission because your hope is secure in Jesus Christ. We press on because we hope
that through sincere public service, people will realize that there is still hope because God
cares for them.
Hebrews says faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Not one
can tell what will happen next. And yet, the faith that you believe in, the faith in the one you
preach is the basis for your hope.
When you return to your mission field and continue with your noble task, we find joy in the
thought that in its own way, Tagbilaran has become a part of this mission. Thank you for this
privilege and have a fruitful stay.
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