With my election to the board of trustees of the Convention of Philippines Baptist Churches (CPBC), pastors were assured of representation. There was a relative unity between the Convention leadership and our association. Synchronization of programs and direction of both bodies produced mutual benefits. Pastors concern and requests were directly addressed while programs of the Convention were easily disseminated and supported by pastors.
Making things more favorable was my appointment to head the Theological Education and Ministerial Concerns (TEMC) Committee. Thereafter, I found the missing link i.e. the CPBC Ten Year Strategic Plan for 2000-2010. Significantly, it incorporated TEMC as one of the major program components of the Convention. Specifically, it aims to empower the local pastors to comprehensively develop their potentials so that they can more relevantly respond to the challenges and needs of the present situations.
While this could have been an answer to the needs of pastors, unfortunately, the program was not well implemented because of the lack of budget. Since its inception, the program was not given much priority due to limited budget and lack of personnel. Unlike other programs with respective directors, the TEMC activities are either carried out as additional function of other personnel, or undertaken by volunteers and TEMC Committee. It was compounded by prevailing misconception that the CPBC caters only to churches. The pastors needs and concerns should be addressed by their association.
This discovery resulted to a deliberate effort to advocate for the pastors cause resulting to some significant changes. Some notable developments were the approval of CPBC UNITES (Unified Theological Education System) which broadened the opportunities for continuing pastoral education; the approval of CBMA Placement Bureau, and other resolutions passed by the assembly and subsequently approved by the Board. Since then, the TEMC program was revisited, promoted and given fresh mandate.
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