By Wayne Stapleton
VP of Cross-Cultural Engagement & Emerging Leader Engagement
As I entered this plot of land in the middle of the city, I wasn’t sure what I was walking into. Amid makeshift shelters, cute little kids full of smiles and energy were introduced to me, each taking my hand and touching it to their forehead, a sign of blessing. Temporary homes occupied some of the property in the back, along with rocks and refuse. This was an area called Zone 9, an area located in Legazpi City in the Philippines in which families are squatting on land. During the day, the men from this community go out to collect garbage to bring here, where they sort it and sell what they can.
I was there with the De Vera family, who comes every Saturday to Zone 9. The De Vera’s have a burden for this community, and every week for the past two years they have come to share the love of God, bringing their presence, God’s Word, and food. JC’s wife, Mellany, leads Bible programs with the children, their daughter Ella teaches the young people, and JC holds a Bible study with the older people – mostly women – in the community. They seek to bring hope to the poorest of the poor.
I sat with JC’s group, amidst chickens and their peeping chicks, on benches he made, in an area marked by debris and human survival. We met in the ruins of what was a house, previously lived in by a woman in the group. The property owners tore it down. There was a man with diabetes among us, who needed to choose between medicine for himself – his wounds not healing due to high blood sugar – and food for his family. He chose food.
JC has apostolic and shepherding gifts; he is a man who looks for opportunities to meet the needs of people with the Gospel of Jesus. He has a deep sense of calling and clearly a heart for the people living in Zone 9. He also has a quirky, humorous personality; he always injected humor into our class meetings. In the picture above, he is the one in the back with his hands up.
The three De Veras were part of the twenty-three students in the class I taught at the Bicol Center for Christian Leadership (BCCL). I was there to teach Ethno-Hermeneutics, the study of biblical exegesis combined with cultural exegesis. This was a major subject in BCCL’s missions training program, which started in February 2023. The idea is that excellent cross-cultural training first requires diligent and faithful study of the text but must include careful understanding and study of the people who are being taught. My students were quite engaged and interested in the material. They opened each class with worship and prayer, and it was clear this subject is meaningful to them, as they sought to apply the lessons to their contexts, particularly the cross-cultural ministries with Hindus and local tribes they have recently been involved with. It was a great experience teaching them, and I would love to go back.
As far as equipping people in ministry, the De Veras were no exception; each of my students were in ministry. There were those who taught youth, or pastored rural churches, or planted churches, or found other ways of being missionaries in their own context. The BCCL does important work, strengthening the local leaders to impact the community around Legazpi City and getting involved in cross-cultural ministries in important, Kingdom-expanding ways.
Claire Marker leads the BCCL. Claire was mentored and selected for BCCL leadership by its founder, Mayette Ativo-Bueno. The BCCL emerged as a vision of Lee Bertsch, sent by the NAB to the Philippines in the 1980’s. The Bicol region was the least evangelized, most Gospel-resistant, highly Roman Catholic region in the country. The BCCL was founded by Lee together with Mayette in 2001 to train ministry leaders in Bicol. The ministry thrived under Mayette’s leadership until her untimely death in 2020. Before her death, Mayette handed the reigns of leadership to Claire, a native of Legazpi City and a product of the BCCL. Claire and her husband, Tim, moved to the Philippines in 2023 to oversee the ministry. The BCCL is the NAB’s ongoing work in the Philippines, financially supported by NAB churches but run entirely by Filipinos. The BCCL has multiple certificate programs for ministry leaders, a food and Bible distribution ministry helping students in their local outreach work, some cross-cultural ministries, and a café, which is run as a business as missions.
When I think about the BCCL, I am reminded of one of Paul’s last letters in which he encourages Timothy to develop Christian leaders to whom ministry can be entrusted.
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful people who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:1–2 NASB)
For 2,000 years, by the grace of God, developing, strengthening, and encouraging Christian leaders has been an integral aspect of the ministry Christ has given to his church. This is what is happening at the BCCL. It was my experience the last two weeks of March this year.
The BCCL is doing a good work, developing ministry leaders in heart as well as skills, to reach their community and the nations with the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you want to participate in the support of this good work, see the links below.