I am really excited to introduce you to one of my subscribers (and just to let you know, I don’t think of people as merely subscribers, but members of this adventurous community). His name is Pedro Balcita, and he is from the Philippines. Pedro was one of my first subscribers, and he and I have been emailing back and forth for a while.
He is always so gracious and encouraging to me. I recently asked Pedro to answer some questions about himself and his ministry. He is a pastor in the Philippines and has an amazing story. I hope you’ll read it and that it will bless you as much as it has me. I’ve also included some pictures so you can see Pedro and his church (including where they meet).
Tell me a little bit about yourself?
Pedro “Peter” D. Balcita , 45 years old , born on August 1, 1969, born at Mameltac, 2500 San Fernando City, La Union, Philippines. And got married to Victoria G. Balcita on June 7, 2000.
Pr
esently pastoring United Community Baptist Church in La Union, Inc. While pursuing his 5-year Mechanical Engineering course in the University, he pastored two Baptist Churches in the province of La Union. He graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in April 1991.
A week before getting a promotion in the Cement Manufacturing Company, he had an accident. While doing his supervisory work, the running inclined conveyor caught him leaving the flesh of his left forearm chopped! It was at the hospital bed that he realized God demoted him from the world of materialism to promote him to the world of higher calling.
With a clear call and vision from God, he left his profession and went to Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary (Baguio City) for formal training and pastored a church as field education. He graduated in March 1999. He and his wife Vicky responded to the call on pastoring International Baptist Church-Filipino Congregation in Hong Kong (2008-2009). Due to a very serious illness of Vicky, they decided to go back home to Philippines in October 2009 but she died due to endometrial cancer on January 22, 2010. Peter continued to pastor the church that he and Vicky pioneered in 1999.
He enjoys serving the Lord despite many challenges. He considers those challenges as opportunities for personal growth in Christ and to experience God’s wisdom and power for breakthroughs to bless others. When Peter saw the need to undergo another Theological training, he grabbed the opportunity to take up Doctor of Ministry offered by Far Corners International Theological Seminary, a mobile Seminary in the Region. And he finished it by God’s help and graduated on May 30, 2014 .
Peter’s heart and lips gratefully express his gratitude to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for saving him from sin and calling him to the noblest profession of all times amidst many sufferings and persecutions, for using Robert Schuler to write, “Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do” for the influence it contributed during his severe trials in the ministry, to Christian friends and brethren who continue to uplift him in the ministry, to prayer partners and to his late wife who was a faithful sister and friend. To God be the glory!
How long have you been in the ministry?
19 years. 1995-present
Tell me about your church and ministry in the Philippines?
The church I am pastoring will be 15 years by this October 2014. Members come and go due to the following two major reasons: Some went to work in other provinces and settled there with their families and others went abroad to work. So we only have 25 average attendance during Sunday worship. But membership active and inactive we have 50.
The membership is divided into five small groups. Each group has its schedule for small group BS once a week. We have six outreaches in our town barrios/communities. The five teams are scheduled to go to those outreaches once a week. We have four outreaches: Sunday afternoon, Saturday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon.
The purpose of the small group BS and the mission team is that to develop leaders and the more leaders that are developed the more workers for the harvest. I let them have their own meeting to plan and evaluate their teams. Just last Sunday, I told them to identify their weaknesses and their strengths. And encouraged them to address their weaknesses to improve their teams.
I’m their coach and trainer. I have schedules for them to conduct leadership training and seminar to fulfill the vision of developing new breed of leaders to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and reach out the 39 barrios/communities of the town of Bauang, La Union to establish a group of believers in each community and be discipled to become obedient and faithful leaders to be world changers for God’s glory.
What has been your greatest adventure in leadership?
My greatest adventure in leadership is to develop a multiplicative new breed of leaders and become workers to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) through a substantial and dynamic leadership training and seminar that would start at our church. That whatever happens this would be my advocacy and become my legacy for the next generation to the glory of God.
What has been the most rewarding thing about your work/ministry?
The most rewarding thing about my work/ ministry is God’s faithfulness that when I love Him as a response for His love to me, I can love His work and His people He entrusted to me and people also learn to love me.
What is your biggest challenge with your work/ministry?
The biggest challenge with my work/ministry is leading people to fulfill God’s vision He impressed in my heart which is producing leaders to become His workers for the bountiful harvest of souls in the 39 communities in our town and establish them as functional group of believers to also fulfill the Great Commission with the wisdom and by the grace of God.
Challenges can be part in the leadership that I need to face them like different responses, commitments, personalities, level of maturity and back grounds of those that would be leading to during leadership development.
How can people pray for and support you?
I keep on reminding church members to pray. This is the reason that the church has a regular weekly prayer meeting during Thursdays and prayer vigils every 1st Friday of the month. I asked my relatives and family members who are Christians, friends in other churches and organizations here and abroad to pray for me and my ministry. The church I am pastoring gives my support.
Until now I am thinking of looking for a part time job to sustain and my other needs be provided but there would be possibility just in case to having lack of focus for the ministry in the church. The growth of the church will be affected negatively. I will just be dependent on the Lord how He will provide my other needs the church will not be provided. Lots of needs to be provided but I am sure the Lord will provide.