Bacolod Evangelical Church

The Bacolod Evangelical Church (BEC) is one of the oldest Protestant Evangelical Christian churches in the Philippines. It is located at the corner of Rosario and San Juan Streets, Bacolod City. The church was established in 1902.

BEC Sanctuary Interiors

History

The Bacolod Evangelical Church emerged from the decision of Filipinos to shake off Spanish religious and political control of the Philippines. The religious shift was enhanced by the imposition of political control of the island by American occupying forces. On the island of Negros, this control was welcomed by the leaders of the Republic of Negros. They invited the American Army and one of the island leaders, Don Eusebio Luzuriaga, began requesting the participation of several American Protestant ministers in local affairs. Thus, when the American Protestant Mission Board met in the United States to plan a strategy for a cooperative evangelization of the island, the American Baptist Board favored working in Western Visayas.

The first Baptist missionary in the Philippines was Dr. Eric Lund who, along with Braulio Manican, [who is Baulio Manican?] arrived in Iloilo City on May 3, 1900. They translated several gospels into Ilonggo, a Filipino dialect. In 1900, Dr. Eric Lund and John Dean, a YMCA secretary, made their first visit to Bacolod City. They called on the civil governor and a number of prominent families to secure permission to hold religious services for Filipinos in the military hospital.

On February 3, 1901, Charles Briggs baptized Cornelio Samson, a Tagalog machinist in Jaro, the first person to be baptized by the mission. Soon after being baptized, Samson settled in Talisay and organized a small group of people interested in the evangelical faith.

Early in 1902, Reverend and Mrs. Archie A. Foshee [Forshee?] of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society came to Bacolod City on the lorcha Hidalgo. The first Negrense they befriended was Glicerio Segovia who carried them on his back from their boat to the shore. Later, they took Segovia into their household and sent him to school and taught him how to preach. Glicerio Segovia became a lay preacher. Rev. Forshee held preaching services in Bago, Murcia, Sum-ag, Silay, Saravia, Victorias and Tobooso. Among his early converts were Don Juan Araneta, Don Quintin Maravilla, Don Eusebio Luzuriaga and Doña Felina Luzuriaga.

Don Eusebio Luzuriaga donated the lot at the corner of San Sebastian and San Juan Streets where the house of attorney Amado Parreño is presently located and provided funds for the construction of a chapel. This chapel was the first Bacolod Evangelical Church.

In 1903, Rev. Archie A. Forshee opened the Baptist Boys Dormitory in the place where BEC now stands. In 1905, he opened the Baptist Girls Dormitory, which would later become the Bacolod Christian College.

Today

Mission Statement:

Believing in the priesthood of all believers and their empowerment by the Holy Spirit, BEC exists:

  1. To bring people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; and to promote the advancement of His kingdom through evangelism and discipleship, church planting, and mission-oriented activities for the glory of God.
  2. To help all church members understand the basic tenets of the Christian faith, apply what they believe in, and develop ways of expressing their faith in God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  3. To empower the poor and needy, offer encouragement to the widows and orphans and give strength to the weak and lonely members of the community towards holistic development through its benevolent/social ministry.

Every Sunday there are four worship services. The early morning service is in Traditional Style (Hiligaynon); the mid-morning service is a mix of traditional and contemporary worship (English); the afternoon service has contemporary worship (English/Hiligaynon); and the vesper service is a mix of traditional and contemporary worship (Hiligaynon/English).

The Men and Young Adults Auxiliary Organizations conduct monthly medical missions in rural areas of Negros Occidental.

The Women's Organization holds Bible story telling and feeding programs for the children that live on the street at Bacolod Public Plaza once a week.

Sunday School is held for adults and children on a weekly basis.

The Young People's Organization conducts campus ministries at different high schools, colleges and universities.

The Church also has a radio broadcast on 1233 AM DYVS.

Affiliations

The Bacolod Evangelical Church is a member of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC). The CPBC is a member of the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation and the Baptist World Alliance. The convention is associated with the World Council of Churches and National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

See also

  • Christianity in the Philippines
  • Jaro Evangelical Church
  • University Church, Central Philippine University