Philippines
COVID-19 Relief in the Philippines: Emergency relief assistance for pastors
Helping pastors in the Philippines feed their families during the COVID-19 pandemic
Crisis Response
The Need
Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, pastors in the Philippines have been faithfully serving their communities—working tirelessly to bring hope to children living in poverty. They have risked their lives to deliver emergency aid to families and share God’s love.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, people were no longer able to attend church services due to the quarantines—leaving pastors who relied on weekly offerings unable to provide for their own families. When church services stopped, so did their incomes. These dedicated servant leaders didn’t stop working, but suddenly they had no way to feed their children or pay for medical bills. Several even missed out on critical medications because they could no longer afford them. These diligent pastors needed someone to help sustain them financially through this difficult season.
Our Response
The intervention started by forming a partnership team to plan, disperse and monitor the relief assistance. Distribution and monitoring took time because some of the church partners were on quarantine at the time of implementation. Another challenge was that new frontline church partners did not have bank accounts yet, so they needed to channel the funds through their sister churches. Close coordination among the church partners in each area allowed this process to run smoothly.
Through this intervention, 410 pastors from 395 frontline church partners—393 senior pastors and 17 associate pastors—were each given immediate cash assistance to purchase basic necessities like food and medicine. The pastors involved in this intervention were very happy to receive the cash assistance. These men and women were really struggling economically due to the cancellation of church services and banning of public transportation. They were forced to rely on limited relief efforts from local government, church members and friends just so they could feed their children each day.
The original proposal was to benefit 420 pastors, but some resigned before the funds could be distributed. Although some church partners experienced delays due to further lockdowns, high COVID-19 cases in their regions and electricity and Internet outages, all 410 pastors successfully and gratefully received their relief assistance.
Activities
Investing in young men: Pastor Bern of PH0990 takes seriously his role to minister to teenage beneficiaries through a group called “All Boys Fellowship: Building Towards Manhood.”
Discipling and baptizing: Pastor Margie, administrative pastor of PH0273, continued to visit beneficiary families in her community, disciple boys and girls and baptize the children she has mentored.
Immense gratitude: During a Zoom meeting with their partnership facilitator, pastors in the Zamboanga Sibugay area expressed their profound thanks for the timely and relevant financial support during trying pandemic times. Pastor Juan, senior pastor of PH0279, expressed his thanks during a Sunday message to this congregation.
Home visits: Pastors were able to continue their home visits as they prayed with families, shared the gospel message and discipled people in their faith.
Your Gift Provides...
• Immediate cash relief for 410 pastors in the Philippines affected by the pandemic:
o 393 senior pastors
o 17 associate pastors
ReportA message from a pastor
During the pandemic, financial difficulties were real. Life was tough as it was hard to earn an income with the lockdowns. This intervention strengthened our faith in God all the more. It has had a great impact on the lives of pastors like me who were affected. Our families are so grateful for having this kind of intervention that supports our physical needs during the lockdowns.
Specifically, my family has benefited greatly because we were able to help support our child who is studying at Bible college in Pangasinan. We really needed to pay the school so our son could take one of his major exams. The money arrived at the perfect time. It was an answer to our prayers. Your gift blessed us not only physically but also spiritually because we were able to share our financial blessing with others. We know the God was the source of this blessing so we were encouraged to share it with others.
Here are four lessons I learned from this experience: 1) God continually uses people who we don’t even know personally to provide for our needs, 2) It is always best to trust God alone, 3) God knows us so well and 4) If you follow God’s call in your life, He will take care of everything.
For us, this intervention was an answered prayer. It was a fruit of faith in God for His provision; things like this are proof of God’s faithfulness to His children. I will share this experience as an encouragement for others who are experiencing hardships.
Every time there are unexpected blessings like these, we never fail to tell our children about God’s goodness so that as they grow older or when the time comes that they will have their own families, they will always have a right perspective of the God they are serving. Not only because of the blessings they receive, but because God’s timing is always perfect, even if we are in a difficult situation.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for being God’s instrument of His grace. I hope that you continue to manifest goodness and to have a golden heart. May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you and richly bless you in every way!
ReportThank you for your generosity
Thank you for answering the call to provide critical help for the Lord’s under-shepherds who were struggling to earn an income during this health crisis. You have honoured their faithful service to their communities and their incredible service to God.
Countless pastors have shared that your financial assistance relieved not only their physical worries but also their spiritual ones. As pastors, their role is to share blessings with others—so it was an unexpected yet deeply appreciated blessing to know you wanted to provide them with much-needed financial assistance. They testify that they are even more inspired to keep serving because they felt seen and loved by Compassion.
Incredibly, some senior pastors decided to give up some of the funding they received to share with their associate pastors and church staff who were also in great need. The spirit of giving was evident throughout this whole experience. Your role in this intervention presented the opportunity for partner church pastors in the Philippines to share generously with their co-labourers.
Truly the Lord was at work because pastors were able to purchase food for their families and medicine for themselves or their children with chronic health concerns. Your gift boosted morale for 410 of God’s faithful servants in the Philippines—strengthening their faith in Jehovah Jireh, the One who always provides.