05/11/2025
𝐖𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝟏𝟐𝟎 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒! 🌱❤️
“𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐧.” —𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝟏𝟐𝟕:𝟏
In the quiet hills of Tuburan, where the wind whispers through the trees and the soil remembers the footsteps of missionaries, a story of faith was planted in 1905. Rev. Charles Briggs and Pastor Braulio Manikan, like Paul and Barnabas of old, came bearing the Good News. They did not bring gold or silver, but the Word of Life. From their preaching sprang Tuburan Baptist Church—a beacon of light in a land once shadowed by war and wandering. The Tuburan Private Academy followed, nurturing minds and souls alike. Teachers became preachers, classrooms became sanctuaries, and every lesson was a seed of hope.
But the path of righteousness is never without trial. The church weathered revolutions, Japanese occupation, and the scattering of its flock. Yet as the Apostle Paul declared, “𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝; 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫” (𝟐 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟒:𝟖).
In 1945, after the war, the faithful gathered once more—not in grandeur, but in Genoveva’s humble home. Her words stirred the embers of revival: ”𝘼𝙗𝙞, 𝙞𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙬𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙤.” And so they built again. Layworkers rose, Sunday School thrived, and Rev. Elias Arandela, like Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, led with prayer, perseverance, and passion.
From generation to generation, the torch was passed. Through droughts of leadership and storms of uncertainty, the church stood firm. “𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝,” 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟔:𝟗 reminds us, “𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐩.” And reap they did—souls saved, children taught, communities reached. From different outreaches, music and school ministries, to the return of Rev. Albert Mark Arandela Java and the joining of Pastor Kim Giloryao Java, the legacy of Rev. Elias C. Arandela, anchored on the truth of Jesus Christ, lives on. His words echo still: “𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙜𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙠𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙖 𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙙 𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙠𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙜 𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮.”
Now, the story is not finished—it is only beginning anew. Tuburan Baptist Church is now celebrating its 120th year of unwavering faith and service. From the seed sown in 1905 to the harvest of souls today, the church stands as a living testimony that “𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧” (𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝟏:𝟔). In this season of jubilee, the doors are wide open to all who seek to know Christ more deeply and grow in grace. Whether weary or wondering, you are welcome here.
𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙜𝙢𝙖 𝙠𝙖, 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙪𝙜𝙢𝙖 𝙠𝙖—you are loved, so you may become love. Come, be part of this story. Let your life echo through Tuburan’s hills as a verse in God’s eternal story.
