OCI Celebrates 50 Years of Philippines Ministry
Philippines -- OC International celebrates 50 years of missions in the Philippines.
OCI’s President Greg Gripentrog says the ministry started in 1953 as a second field of ministry. "we're going to be celebrating all the God has done over the last 50 years.”
However, says Gripentrog, “The celebration will commemorate more than just time working in a country. In 1980, OC was used as a catalyst to start what became known as 'The DAWN' movement, bringing together all of the evangelical churches in an effort to see 50,000 churches in the Philippines by the end of the year 2000."
According to Gripentrog, there were only 10,000 churches in 1980. "So, that would have meant 40,000 new churches. And, the thrilling thing is that by the end of the year 2,000 according to the official tally, there were 51,000 churches. We were thrilled to be part of that and we are going back to celebrate these great things God has done."
To OCI however, Gripentrog, the missions has yet to expand in the Philippines. "There are still literally thousands of barrios there in the Philippines that still don't have an evangelical church. And so, our team is involved actually now in a new thrust targeted on planting somewhere around 8,000 churches on the Island of Mindanao by the year 2010."
Gripentrog asks people to pray for the financial support that is needed to expand their work.
