The Southwestern Philippine Union Conference (SwPUC) has successfully completed a series of empowerment and training sessions as part of its innovative Harvest 2025 program initiated by SSD. This initiative, a one year evangelism strategy, aims to remap the landscape of evangelism in the said territory, following a consultative meeting held by the Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) with church leaders from various unions across the country.

Spanning from late January to February 2025, the training program was spearheaded by the SwPUC administrators and NDR/IEL along with the SwPUC Department Directors. It featured intensive training sessions held each weekend, culminating at the Central Mindanao Mission in Valencia City from February 24-26. The training commenced with events in locations such as Zamboanga Peninsula Mission, Western Mindanao Conference, Northeastern Mindanao Mission, and Central Mindanao Mission.

As part of the preparation for the first phase of the upcoming evangelistic wave, scheduled for April 6-12, 2025, training topics were carefully chosen by each department to ensure they were relevant and beneficial for the participants. Each session was designed to enhance the capabilities of church elders and members of the church as they gear up for the evangelistic meetings. 

A distinctive feature of each training event was the breakout sessions, allowing attendees to address specific questions and concerns within their departmental contexts. These sessions were followed by a commitment service, during which participants wrote down the names of individuals they planned to invite to their meetings on bookmarkers. The pastors from the SwPUC  and local mission/conference then prayed over these names, fostering a spirit of collective commitment to outreach.

Feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. One participant remarked, “The lectures are very relevant and useful as we approach our upcoming evangelistic meetings.” Participation ranged impressively between 800 to 1,000 plus individuals across the various missions and conferences, demonstrating strong support from local church leaders and pastors alike.

The initiative was led by SwPUC President Pr. Jerry Patalinghug and Vice President for NDR IEL, Pr. Jerrymil Pamonag, highlighting the commitment of the conference to impactful evangelism and community engagement.

As the SwPUC moves forward with the Harvest 2025 initiative, the training has laid a solid foundation for the upcoming evangelistic efforts, paving the way for meaningful outreach and spiritual growth within the territory of the Southwestern Philippine Union Conference.

RPido