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| Greenhills Christian Fellowship (Ortigas) Know Christ and Make Him Known |
Greenhills
Christian Fellowship (GCF), since its expansion in 1990 and through the
leadership of the late and former Sr. Pastor Dr. Luis Pantoja, Jr., has established
itself as an active team player in God’s worldwide ministry. Through its
guiding motto: To Know Christ and Make Him Known, GCF has planted various
satellite churches in strategic areas in the country and abroad. By the Lord's direction, the growth of GCF can be traced back not just from its founding Pastor Rev. David and wife Patty
Yount, but ultimately from the overall mission and vision of the
Conservative Baptist Association of the Philippines (CBAP) [4].
Conservative Baptist Association of the Philippines (CBAP)
CBAP,
founded in 1958, had only five member churches through the Fellowship of Baptist
Churches in Southern Luzon [1]. Since then, CBAP now has more than around 500 churches all over the
Philippines, and still growing [2]. What
contributed to the growth of the association was programs like the “center
approach.” It was the association’s church planting strategy to start building churches in
Metro Manila and not just in the provinces [4]. The association also had the “0-200” program, which aimed at planting two-hundred
churches in a ten-year span throughout the Philippines [4]. It was through these programs that brought upon the
birth of churches including GCF, currently the biggest church under CBAP [3]. CBAP had always been ministering and planting churches
mostly to rural and provincial cities. But through GCF and other Metro Manila churches, the association was able to plant churches in strategic
areas in urban Metro Manila [4]. This became one of the reasons why GCF found its first home in Greenhills, San Juan City [3].
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| Conservative Baptist Association of the Philippines |
GCF’s
Beginnings
GCF
was established through the missionary effort and strategic church planting
initiative of CBAP’s leadership which included Luis Pantoja Sr., (The father of the late Sr. Pastor) in partnership
with Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (CBFMS) members Rev. David
and Patty Jo Yount [4] [5].
Pastor Love Tira along with the Younts, during late 70's toward the 80's, saw and experienced first-hand what the Lord was doing through discipleship and small groups, their committed relationship building, their proximity to the suburban community of Greenhills, and the ability of their ministry to adapt and relate with their target audience then, the "influencers" of society. Also, prior to its current location in Ortigas, GCF resided at the Greenhills Sound Production, at the Medecor Building along Ortigas Avenue during the late 70’s. The church, which was growing close to a thousand in members, desired and prayed for relocation within the San Juan-Ortigas Avenue area [6]. But after countless failed inquiries with various lot and building owners along the Ortigas Avenue strip in San Juan, GCF together with CBAP’s leadership was led by the Lord instead to the neighboring, emerging “empty parking lot” in Ortigas Center, Pasig, right across EDSA [6]. The Lord proved faithful to the church by providing GCF finally a lot of their own at a large discount, and at an area now considered as an important business district, home to various local and multi-national corporations, and home to a thriving residential area surrounded by malls and condominiums [3].
Pastor Love Tira along with the Younts, during late 70's toward the 80's, saw and experienced first-hand what the Lord was doing through discipleship and small groups, their committed relationship building, their proximity to the suburban community of Greenhills, and the ability of their ministry to adapt and relate with their target audience then, the "influencers" of society. Also, prior to its current location in Ortigas, GCF resided at the Greenhills Sound Production, at the Medecor Building along Ortigas Avenue during the late 70’s. The church, which was growing close to a thousand in members, desired and prayed for relocation within the San Juan-Ortigas Avenue area [6]. But after countless failed inquiries with various lot and building owners along the Ortigas Avenue strip in San Juan, GCF together with CBAP’s leadership was led by the Lord instead to the neighboring, emerging “empty parking lot” in Ortigas Center, Pasig, right across EDSA [6]. The Lord proved faithful to the church by providing GCF finally a lot of their own at a large discount, and at an area now considered as an important business district, home to various local and multi-national corporations, and home to a thriving residential area surrounded by malls and condominiums [3].
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| GCF-Ortigas Main Worship Auditorium Photo Credit: Pastor Jon Las |
GCF Satellite
Churches
According to Pastor Love Tira, GCF
expanded, as envisioned by CBAP, through the challenge he and Dr. Luis Pantoja had given to selected growth groups toward the building of satellite churches in their respective communities. The church planting strategy entitled “Church transplanting,”
enabled growth groups to minister to their communities and make Christ known through satellite church. Pastor Love, under the leadership of Sr. Pastor Dr.
Luis Pantoja, Jr., led the charge, planting the initial batch of churches in
Alabang, Pampanga and Bulacan during the early 90’s. It was a time of great
harvest as GCF began to expand its borders [6]. Throughout the years, From its roots in Laguna
to the growth of GCF in Ortigas, down to the major cities of the Philippines, GCF
has established satellites in various key cities: Alabang
– Muntinlupa (GCF South Metro), Taytay, Rizal (GCF East), Commonwealth, Quezon
City (GCF North), Batangas City (GCF Batangas), Pampanga (GCF San Fernando),
Cebu City (GCF Cebu), Bicol (GCF Naga), Bulacan (GCF Malolos), Marikina (GCF Marikina Valley), Legaspi (GCF Legaspi), Laguna (GCF Sta. Rosa), North
Edsa, Quezon City (GCF Northwest), Makati (GCF Makati), Bicutan-Paranaque (GCF Parañaque), Fairview,
Quezon City (GCF Northeast) and Baguio (GCF Baguio). However, the work did not stop there [5].
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| GCF Connect (Call Center-BPO Ministry) with Pastor BJ Sebastian Photo Credit: GCF Connect (Facebook) |
From Manila
to Toronto
GCF also on May 6, 2007
established its very first satellite overseas, GCF Toronto [7].
A year after Toronto, the establishment of GCF Peel followed, followed by GCF
Vancouver, GCF Calgary, GCF York and GCF Winnipeg [8]. What began in Ortigas, has now arrived across the Pacific thanks to the Lord's leading and his faithfulness. Dr. Narry Santos, the Sr. Pastor of GCF Toronto, has been spearheading this growth and has been instrumental in embracing the vision that CBAP had ingrained in GCF through the Yount's and through Dr. Luis Pantoja, Jr.
CBAP and GCF
Today
Today,
CBAP has set its sight toward “Vision 2025”, as it plans to plant 2025 churches
by 2025 with the vision of CBAP churches multiplying churches [3]. CBAP plans to plant
churches with the strategy of 1) Establishing churches for missional
reproduction, 2) Energizing the body for health and growth, 3) Equipping authentic
leaders for health and growth, and 4) Empowering people for community transformation [2].
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| The SHED (Weekly Ortigas Community Outreach) Photo Credit: Racquel Tira |
Thanks
to this vision of CBAP, the foundation built by the Younts, the vision of Dr.
Pantoja, the heart of Pastor Love Tira, the current leadership of Dr.
Larry Pabiona, and the fire of former and current Pastoral Staff, Board of
Elders, Deacons, and the many faithful lay-volunteer men and women leaders, GCF expanded and continues to expand by taking to heart the challenge
by GCF’s mission of “Making Disciples for Christ Philippines and beyond” and vision
of “Lives and Communities Transformed through Christ” through the core values
of God’s word and growth groups. Simply put, that is: To know Christ and make
Christ known [5].
Kindly answer at least one of the following discussion questions below:
1. It is often said and observed that large "mega churches" like GCF tend to lose it's sense of community and family atmosphere. Do you agree? How can large churches like GCF address this concern? What are some ways churches like GCF foster a sense of community in the church?
2. GCF is situated at a strategic location in Ortigas Center in Pasig and have been ministering to the community through various means like the GCF International Christian School, Turning Point (Bi-monthly singles-young adults fellowship), The SHED (weekly community outreach) and Connect (call center small group ministry). But GCF has also been involved in global missions through the One Gospel Conference (Biennial Missions Conference), Kairos (Missions awareness training and equipping), Wetfoot (Short-term missions) and through its support various agencies and missionaries. Shouldn't GCF focus specifically its ministry and its resources for the community in Ortigas?
3. GCF and its satellite churches maintain a special relationship but are built and established in such a way that each satellite would become independent, thriving church who would also plant churches (like GCF North, GCF South Metro, GCF Toronto etc.) Would you agree that GCF should maintain control and leadership to future church plant and GCF satellites? If not, then how can GCF improve its partnership with its satellite churches ministry-wise at the same time ensure that autonomy and authority is preserved per satellite church?
Bibliography
[1] Kohl, Manfred. The Churches in the Philippines: A Research Project with Special Emphasis on Theological Education. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: OMF Literature, 2005.
[2] Conservative Baptist Association of the Philippines Vision 2025 Blog "http://cbapvision2025.blogspot.com/" (accessed February 5, 2013).
[3] Pantoja, Noel. E-mail message to author. February 7, 2013.
[4] Guillermo, Merlyn L. Protestant Churches & Missions in the Philippines. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, 1983.
[5] Greenhills Christian Fellowship, "http://gcf.org.ph/pages/about/" (accessed February 4, 2013).
[6] Tira, Unity E. Interviewed by author. Nokia C3 Sound Recoder Recording. February 4, 2013.
[7] Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto, "http://www.gcftoronto.org/" (accessed February, 2013).
[8] Canadian Baptists of Western Canada,
"http://cbwc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/GOWESTIssue9.pdf" (accessed February 4, 2013).
[1] Kohl, Manfred. The Churches in the Philippines: A Research Project with Special Emphasis on Theological Education. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: OMF Literature, 2005.
[2] Conservative Baptist Association of the Philippines Vision 2025 Blog "http://cbapvision2025.blogspot.com/" (accessed February 5, 2013).
[3] Pantoja, Noel. E-mail message to author. February 7, 2013.
[4] Guillermo, Merlyn L. Protestant Churches & Missions in the Philippines. Quezon City, Philippines: Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, 1983.
[5] Greenhills Christian Fellowship, "http://gcf.org.ph/pages/about/" (accessed February 4, 2013).
[6] Tira, Unity E. Interviewed by author. Nokia C3 Sound Recoder Recording. February 4, 2013.
[7] Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto, "http://www.gcftoronto.org/" (accessed February, 2013).
[8] Canadian Baptists of Western Canada,
"http://cbwc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/GOWESTIssue9.pdf" (accessed February 4, 2013).
