Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
The Baptist Paper
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • SBC 2025
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds

MO Baptist associations adopt island in the Philippines in church-planting effort

  • April 20, 2023
  • International Mission Board
  • International Mission Board, Latest News, Missouri
Eight Southern Baptist associations in Missouri adopted an island in the Philippines. The Philippines is home to thousands of island, some with minimal gospel witness.
(IMB Photo)

MO Baptist associations adopt island in the Philippines in church-planting effort

Adopting an island sounds like something a millionaire or movie star might do, but that’s exactly what nine Southern Baptist Associations in Missouri did.

In partnership with Filipino Southern Baptist churches in North America, the associations adopted the island of Camiguin in the Philippines in a commitment to seeing the gospel permeate the island.

Three years after the associations adopted Camiguin,  new believers meet regularly to study the Bible, and a Filipino missionary catalyst is living among the people. Local schools also welcome volunteers to host ministry programs and volunteers from the U.S., and the Philippines regularly travel to minister on the island.

And, the first church plant appears to be on the horizon.

Vision

Former International Mission Board missionary Roger Graham, who now serves as the director of missions for the Charleston Baptist Association in southeast Missouri, felt the Lord leading him and his association to increase their involvement in international missions by ministering to a people group.

He shared his vision with the directors of missions from eight other associations, and all of them quickly jumped on board. Several of the directors of missions were former IMB missionaries, one having served in the Philippines for 30 years.

The nine Southern Baptist associations in Missouri: Black River, Cane Creek Stoddard, Cape Girardeau, Charleston, Mineral Area, Reynolds County, Southeast Missouri, St. Francois and Wayne County committed to an Acts 1:8 partnership involving ministry to Filipinos in North America and the Philippines.

An Acts 1:8 strategy is a comprehensive strategy, based on Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would empower His disciples to share the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world.

The Missouri associations’ involvement and commitment include ministering to Filipinos in southeast Missouri through partnerships with a Filipino-American church planter in the area. They also partner with Filipino churches across the U.S. and Canada, the IMB, the Southern Baptist Convention, the North American Mission Board, the Filipino International Mission Board and the Northern Mindanao Baptist Association. These partnerships focus on reaching Filipinos in North America and on the island of Camiguin, an island province in the Philippines.

Jess and Wendy Jennings serve in the Philippines as IMB missionaries. One of their ministry focuses includes reaching what they call “pockets of lostness” in the Philippines. Many small islands have small populations without a consistent gospel presence.

“We’ve been focusing on a few islands for the last few years, sending a lot of short-term teams, both American and Filipino,” Jess said.

Reaching the more than 7,000 islands is no small task, which is why partners like the Missouri associations are so crucial.

When Graham asked Jennings how they could partner with them, Jennings suggested adopting an island to develop and implement a strategy to plant churches, and Camiguin rose to the surface.

Camiguin’s population is 92,808 making it the second-smallest province in the Philippines. Camiguin’s evangelical population is 1.3%, and the island has four Baptist churches and around 1,500 Christians.

Since travel in 2021 was not an option due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that year became one of prayer and partnership building.

The associations are now in their third year of adoption. September 2022 and this past February, Graham traveled with pastors and directors of mission to Camiguin.

On their trips, they prayer walked, hosted biblical programs in local schools, shared the gospel and preached in the four Baptist churches. The trip also provided an opportunity to strategically plan for ministry with their Filipino partners.

In addition to churches and associations in the U.S. adopting islands, churches in the Philippines are also committed to adopting unreached islands. A Baptist association on the island of Mindanao came alongside the Missouri associations and identified a missionary catalyst to place on the island — someone who will be a local missionary presence.

Graham said they hope to place a second person on the island soon. He noted they are close to seeing their first church plant formed on the island.

Their vision is to establish a church-planting movement on the island that results in three to four healthy, multiplying churches in every municipality, which represents a minimum of 18 villages. The long-term goal is healthy, reproducing churches in the other villages on the island.

Spiritual sight

As they prayer walked, Graham and Jennings noticed an older man standing by his front gate. The 83-year-old man had vision problems and couldn’t see well. As they began sharing the gospel with him, they noticed a change in his eyes.

“When we really got into the gospel, and sharing the heart of the gospel, you could see a literal physical change in his eyes, and it was just so interesting to see that change that took place in his eyes for the time we were sharing the gospel until the time we quit,” Graham said.

Though he had trouble with his vision, the gospel changed both his physical and spiritual blindness.

“You could literally see it in his eyes — the impact the gospel was having on him,” Graham said.

On their September trip, several people committed their lives to Christ. They are waiting to hear whether they were baptized — in a Catholic country, and in a culture that wants to please, baptism is a sign someone has truly decided to follow Christ.

Nehemiah Teams invested their summer in Camiguin last summer and saw people commit their lives to Christ, and the new believers were baptized.

Nehemiah Teams offer summer missions opportunities for students to serve among unreached people groups.

This summer Graham hopes several teams will continue the work the Nehemiah Teams furthered. Graham said he also hopes a NT4 Teens team — a summer program for teenagers — will also join.

Additional teams from the Missouri associations will head to Camiguin in May and September and will do more prayer walking, provide values training in schools and, hopefully, pursue holding Vacation Bible Schools on the island.

For more information, contact the IMB at info@imb.org.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Tessa Sanchez and originally published by the International Mission Board.

Share with others:

Facebook
X/Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Miss Georgia contest winner says following Christ ‘best decision I could have ever made’
    Miss Georgia contest winner says following Christ ‘best decision I could have ever made’
    June 21, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • ‘High-five Fridays’ among efforts to build relationships with inner-city school
    ‘High-five Fridays’ among efforts to build relationships with inner-city school
    June 20, 2025/
    0 Comments
  • Honoring retired pastors, their widows on Mission:Dignity Sunday
    Honoring retired pastors, their widows on Mission:Dignity Sunday
    June 20, 2025/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Miss Georgia contest winner says following Christ ‘best decision I could have ever made’

Audrey Kittila was crowned the 80th winner of the Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition on June 14, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Her victory gives her an expanded public platform to share her Christian faith and serve others in Jesus’ name.

‘High-five Fridays’ among efforts to build relationships with inner-city school

For the past six years, Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has built a powerful connection with Hobgood Elementary, an inner-city school facing numerous low-income challenges.

Honoring retired pastors, their widows on Mission:Dignity Sunday

Mission: Dignity Sunday to be observed on June 22.

First person: 9 things I want my grandsons to learn

Here are nine things that my father’s example taught me about manhood that I’ve tried to pass down to his grandsons.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2025 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

About

  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church
  • Our Team
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Donate
  • Photo Galleries
  • Contact us
  • Hosted Church

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your State News
  • Persecuted Church
  • Editorials
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Archive
  • Submit your news

Subscribe

  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel