ELMER GULLION



Elmer Gullion was born in December 31, 1916 in Colorado, U.S.A. He was raised by a family with a  rich Baptist heritage. During the Second World War, he served in the artillery unit of the U.S. Army. After serving in New Guinea, he was destined in the Philippines. He did not forget about God and continued to read his Bible. He became a shining light not only to his fellow soldiers but also to Filipinos. Soon, he was asked to hold a prayer service where three families attended.  This was followed by more prayer services.

World War 2 came to a close and he had to go. But he was asked to come back not as a liberator but a missionary. One of his attendees, told him, "You have liberated us from the Japanese, but we face a greater enemy. Please come back and show us how to get spiritual victory."

Elmer surrendered even before being shipped out of Manila. He entered Bible college and there he met  Daisy. whom he married. The Gullion family arrived in the Philippines in December 1949. He helped with the mission works in Manila, Mandaluyong, and eventually in Dagupan. 

Gullion met his Creator and King in December 5, 2000. 

A.B. Fernandez Avenue , Dagupan Circa 1986

Through the years of service, the Gullion family had had their share of floods, drought, fire, and even death threats.  When asked about the key to his long service, Gullion replied, 

"When we came here, we knew why we came. We knew Who sent us. We had no doubt that God wanted us to do this work." 

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Photos: Years of Blessing 1936:1967, Phil. Daily Inquirer, March 11, 2000.
Source: Personal Interview with Elmer Gullion (Baptist Tribune)
whatsupdagupan.blogspot.com

Pimentel

One of the Filipino Baptist pioneers was a Tagalog named Pimentel. Being a former revolutionary and eventually a supporter of the Americans as a product of their mission work, Pimentel became a target of both Filipino revolutionaries as well as American soldiers.


He was arrested by the Americans and then tortured for several hours. (not actual photo) Left for dead on the ground, he survived.




He was then arrested by Filipino policemen who clubbed him with the butt of a gun fracturing his skull and disfiguring his face.

His spirit was not broken and he became a preacher in various towns within Panay Island. He refused to get foreign financial support.

His preaching message was reported to be centered on the theme: "All Sufficiency of Christ -- Christ alone stands between men and their God, Christ alone forgives sin and therefore persons should confess their sins to Christ alone. Christ alone has all power and all right in the world.

One day, he was hacked to death by assassins who were believed to be paid by either a Catholic priest he might have offended or by revolutionaries who were at war with the Americans.

Source: N.D. Bunda (A Mission History of The Phil. Baptist Churches...)
photo: philippineamericanwar.webs.com

Braulio Manikan : Unang Pilipinong Baptist

Si Braulio Manikan ang unang Pilipinong naligtas at nabautismuhan bilang isang Baptist. Kilalanin natin siya at alamin ang kaniyang mga nagampanan bilang isa sa mga unang nakapagtaguyod ng pananampalatayang Baptist sa Pilipinas.


Si Braulio Ciriaco Manikan y Miralles ay ipinanganak noong Marso 26, 1870 sa Unat, Ibajay Aklan.. Ang kaniyang ama ay si Kapitan Antonio Manikan at ang kaniyang ina ay si Concepcion Manikan. Ipinanganak siya sa isang mayaman na pamilya. Lumaki siya na may isang yaya na nagaaruga sa kaniya. Nag-aral siya sa isang paraalan ng mga Hesuwita sa Manynila noong siya ay labing dalawang taong gulang.

Nakatanggap siya ng Biblia mula sa kaibigan ng kaniyang lolo. Kalaunan ay ninais niya na mag-pari sapagkat marami siyang mga kamag-anak na pari at madre, at dahil na rin sa karangalang natatanggap ng mga nag-papari sa panahong iyon.

Habang nagaaral sa seminaryo ay nakita nya ang napakaraming uri ng korapsyon sa simbahan. Dahil rito ay nagtungo siya sa Espanya upang mag-aral ng pag-iinhinyero. Iba naman ang sinasabi ng kaniyang mga anak. Nahuli raw siya na may damit ng babae sa kaniyang silid at ito ang nagdulot ng ng kaniyang pag-lisan ng Pilipinas patungo ng Espanya).

Sa Espanya ay nakilala ni Braulio si Eric Lund, isang Swede, at ang unang Baptist na misyonero sa Espanya. Sa ilalim ng gawain ni Lund ay naligtas at nabawtismuhan si Braulio noong 1898. Ipinakilala niya kay Lund ang kaniyang mga Pilipinong kaibigan at isa na rito si Adriano Osorio Reyes na naging misyonero sa Iloilo.

Agad na naghanda si Braulio na makabalik sa kaniyang bayan upang maibahagi ang mabuting Salita ng Diyos. Ibinahagi ni Lund ang paghahanda na ito sa American Baptist Missionary Union, isang mission agency. Ikinagalak ng ABMU ang balitang ito. Si Lund at si Manikan ay opisyal na naging mga misyonero sa Pilipinas sa ilalim ng ABMU.

Hindi agad nakabalik si Manikan at si Lund sa Pilipinas sapagkat kulang ang kanilang salapi, at sa panahon din na ito ay kasalukuyang naghihimagsik ang mga Pilipino laban sa mga Espanyol. Bukod pa sa mga ito ay ang digmaang Espanyol at Amerikano ay umabot na sa Pilipinas. Ngunit hindi sinayang ni Lund at Manikan ang kanilang panahon sa Espanya. Sinimulan nilang isalin ang Biblia sa Hiligaynon. May mga "tracts" din na naisalin at may iilang mga babasahin na ipinadala sa kanila mula sa California. Karamihan sa mga tracts ay isinulat ni Lund at ang mga ito naman ay sinalin ni Manikan.

Bukod sa paglilimbag ay sinubukan rin aralin ni Lund ang wikang Hiligaynon sa gabay ni Manikan. Si Manikan naman ay natuto ng maraming bagay tunkol sa tradisyon ng mga Baptists.  Noon Mayo 3, 1900 ay nakarating si Lund at Manikan sa Iloilo. Malaking ang naitulong ng salin ng dalawang misyonero sapagkat maraming tao ang agad nabahagian ng Salita ng Diyos sa kanilang sariling linggwahe. Hindi lang ang mga Baptists ang nakinabang sa mga salin na ito ngunit pati na rin ang iba pang mga Protestanteng denominasyon.

Ang mga datos sa artikulong ito ay kinuha sa libro ni Nestor D. Bunda. A Mission History of Philippine Baptist Churches 1898 - 1998 From A Philippine Perspective.

Larawan:
Braulio Manikan: Baptist History and Heritage Forum


First Filipino Baptist, Baptist History in the Philippines, History of Baptists in the Philippines