The Presbytery of Winnipeg held a special service on May 12 to constitute the Filipino Presbyterian Church of Winnipeg, a congregation of the PCC. The service was held at Calvin, Winnipeg.
Members of the new congregation were joined by members of the presbytery and the local community for a service filled with music led by the praise and worship team, prayers in English and Tagalog, the reaffirmation of faith of the members, and prayers of thanksgiving and healing. A traditional Filipino feast followed the service.
“There were about 200 people there,” said Rev. Glenn Ball, regional staff for the Synod of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. “There was great support from the Filipino community. Many of them have not been there otherwise, so we’re looking forward to them becoming part of the community … [We] hope this is going to be a growing ministry.”
Winnipeg’s Filipino community is comprised of over 60,000 people, making it larger than the city’s First Nations population. It was fitting then, that the Presbytery of Winnipeg saw a need to reach out.
Started on Mother’s Day 2009 as the Filipino Mission, this outreach has grown to 68 adults and children. Led by Pastors Ed Capillar and Mario Gundayao, Filipino, Winnipeg, is the first Tagalog speaking congregation in the PCC.
It took about five months to negotiate the arrangement between the Filipino congregation and that of the host church, Calvin. And while there are still kinks to work out, the two groups are already enjoying occasional worship and fellowship together. Worship includes both Tagalog and English, and both contemporary and traditional music. Sunday school teachers are already in place, and elders were ordained on June 16.
“It’s been four years of prayer,” Ball told the Record, thanking everyone who played a role in helping make this church a reality. “Westwood, Winnipeg [has] a heart for mission, and they offer support to congregations that see a need and we are then able to do things like this.
“[And] Without Calvin Church’s willingness to open its doors, planting this new faith community would have been much more difficult. We pray that God will continue to prosper and bless these congregations as they seek to minister to a rapidly changing population within the City of Winnipeg.”
