I grew up in the church. Since my childhood, I have actively attended Sunday school. In my high school days I was very much involved in the church youth events. I thought I was a very active member of the church, frequently being assigned as a presider in the Sunday worship service. I helped in cleaning the church every Saturday. I attended conferences when asked. I seldom missed a Sunday worship service.

But I smoked cigarettes and drank hard liquor. I also came to the point where my friends were more important to me than my family.

One day while I was sweeping the floor, my pastor came to me and asked me a confusing and terrifying question: “Do you want to be a pastor? Has God called you to be a pastor?”

I did not understand the question. The answer could only be yes or no. Yet, I had no answer. But it struck me. I did not answer him then, but the question remained in my mind. From that time on, I was always thinking about that question.

Deep inside, there was something that was leading me to search my heart. It directed to me to the condition of my life: there was sin in me. Because of that “sin” I felt that I was not worthy to be in the service of God. I needed to be changed, but what kind of changes needed to be done in me? After all, my pastor smoked and drank a beer once in a while. In fact, almost every man in my church smoked and drank alcohol. That was life in my former church. So what kind of changes did I need to make?

I was searching for answers and began attending three different churches in a week—a Pentecostal church on Wednesdays, a Methodist church (my church before) on Sunday mornings, and a Nazarene church on Sunday evenings. I didn’t really know what I was looking for. Until one day, December 1983, my mother invited me to attend revival services in the Church of the Nazarene. I went to the Church alone. I did not go with my mother. I brought my friends with me. We sat at the back. I intently listened to the preacher and when he started to invite the congregation to come forward to the altar, I answered the call; I knelt down at the altar. I surrendered my life to God.

My friends were laughing and were teasing me.

After a while, because of the influence of my beloved friends, I began to drink and smoke again. But in Summer of 1984, I was invited again by the Nazarene church to attend a youth camp during holy week. I told my friends that I would attend the youth camp. But Monday before the camp on Wednesday they brought me to a place far from the camp with many bottles of hard liquor.

We started to drink Monday night. On Tuesday morning we continued drinking. I was so drunk that day. But I wanted to attend the youth camp. So late that afternoon, we started to walk. It took us two hours to reach the Jeepney (public transport) station.

At that youth camp, I experienced a 180-degree turn-around in my life. I can’t remember asking the Lord to help me stop smoking and drinking. I just surrendered my life to Him. Then, changes happened in my life. I did not drink and smoke cigarettes anymore. There was no more desire to do it. No more cursing, even!

Disco club church
June 11, 1984, I was baptized. The next day, I went to Bible College. Life was not easy in the Bible College, but with the help of the Lord and my pastor, the late Rev. Virgilio Tamayo Jr., I surpassed the obstacles.

In 1987, I got married. This is another miracle of the Lord in my life. I did not spend time courting the woman of my life; I prayed to the Lord. For six months I was praying to the Lord for Raquel, not knowing that she was also praying for me. So when we talked during a youth camp in 1986 held at our Bible College, I proposed to her and she gave me the sweet “YES.” The Lord gave me Raquel and I to her.

I obeyed the Lord’s call to become a pastor. My first assignment as pastor was in 1988. I learned many things in my first pastorate. I was the third choice of that church, Mandaue Church of the Nazarene. The first two declined the church’s call. I don’t know who they were, but I think I know why they declined.

First, the building was not a good place for a church. It was a cabaret—a disco club— where men go to drink and to have “other women.” Every Sunday we had to clean the club. The mission director, Rev. Kyle Greene and his wife, and Rev. Larry and Janet Wagner, would help us clean the building. I had to use the runway of the dancing ladies as my platform. At the back was a big half-round glass with many dancing lights. Maybe the second reason the other pastors declined the position was that few of the church’s members were left.

With the Lord’s help, after three months of ministry in that area, our disco house church was full of people. And after six months, we had established six preaching points. Each of the 10 students that were helping me was assigned to a different place.

The third reason other pastors declined the job was maybe about the money. The church did not have enough money to support the pastor. As a pastor, I received 125 pesos a week—500 pesos a month (roughly $25 per month at 1988's exchange rate). The district also gave me 300 pesos ($15) a month subsidy. How far could it go for a family? The milk for my first son was 105 pesos ($5.25). The 10 students also ate at our house every Sunday. I was still studying, but I had to walk about two kilometers because my money was not enough for transportation.

But the Lord was good and in many ways worked in our lives. We did not miss a single meal and were able to share the Lord’s blessings with others. I have learned to obey the call of the Lord and to fully trust Him. And every day we experienced the abundance of the Lord in so many ways.

In 1992 I was called to be the pastor of Bethany Church of the Nazarene on the Metro Manila District. In 1993, I was ordained as an elder and my wife Raquel as deacon in the Church of the Nazarene. We started a school in the church because the support coming from the church was too small. I was receiving just 1,000 pesos ($38) a month, and this time there was no subsidy from the district. My wife received 1,000 pesos from the school. Back in Manila, the expenses were higher compared to the place of my first pastorate. Again the lessons from the Lord continued. We had struggles, but we survived every bit of it. The Lord has His way of supporting us. We did not think of working outside the church.

Doubt and learning
In 2003, I was elected as district superintendent of Metro Manila District, Philippines. I struggled in my first term. I did not go to Bible School to be a district superintendent. I had prepared to be a successful pastor and I believed I had become one. In 2004, I was thinking of going somewhere to continue my pastoral ministry. I talked to the pastor of the Filipino community in Japan to consider me as one of the workers. I thought I had failed in my first term as DS and I didn’t know what to do next. But to my amazement, I was re-elected.

I wondered, “What will I do?” The first month of my re-election I held consultations about where we should go as a district with the individual members of the DAB, the pastors, the missionaries, and even members of the church. I also observed other denominations and independent churches to learn from them. I concluded that I needed to work with people, with pastors, and not try to do the ministry alone.

As a result of this searching time, I organized what I called a Research and Development Committee, which was very helpful to me. I knew we couldn't expand without them. I recognized the ability of other pastors who I thought were better leaders than I, and I started to talk to them. The result was growth for the district!

The second six years of my ministry as district superintendent (DS) could be likened to entering to master’s degree program. I learned from my mistakes; I learned from pastors, from different local church boards and from members of the church. I learned to persevere. I have met the challenge of being a DS. I may not have high grades on every level of the ministry, but I believe I passed all the “subjects.” The district grew, and had more capable leaders. Most important, the people learned to trust other leaders on the district in addition to the DS.

A new flock in a new land
The time came when I knew the Lord was leading us into a new direction for our ministry. The Lord knows what is best for me and for the ministry. So for two years I searched His will and went to the seminary (Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary) to pursue higher education.

 

Part of my responsibility as district superintendent was to visit every ministry of the district, including our mission locations. Japan was part of the missionary work of Metro Manila District, so I was invited to go to Japan for a visit. While there, I filled in for a church without a pastor. I would study my lessons during the day and go to cell group or Bible study in the evening. I never got tired with what I was doing. I always had the energy to do many things. I was so happy. I only felt this way when I was in Japan, not during the prior four years of my term as DS. I said to myself, “This is what I was looking for.”

All the while I performed my duties as DS I felt bound with rules and regulations. I did not feel a freedom to joke ore relax with friends or family due to the constant pressure to perform. I felt that I had to please many people on the district, and felt I should be working all the time as DS because I was receiving a salary. It came to a point that I was not happy anymore as DS. But I am a responsible person and never quit, still doing my job wholeheartedly. So when I found again that happiness and enjoyment in doing ministry, I said to myself, “I will go back to the pastorate because if I will continue as a DS, I may destroy myself and the district or even the church.”

I did not make my final decision while in Japan. It could have been a wrong feeling. I wanted to make sure that what I experienced in Japan was true.

Back In Manila, I observed myself; I looked at the district; I looked at my church. But still I had that desire to go back to Japan. I consulted many people, the missionaries, pastors and friends about this. I also looked at the church in Japan where all of them hoped I would go to back to them.

Little by little the intent to go back to Japan started to build up, especially when I learned that they were doing their best to get me and my family to be with them.

I decided to not allow myself to be re-elected as district superintendent.

The problem at this point was how I would get back to Japan. I had started the first step to look for someone who could help me to go to Japan. With help it would normally take three to five months before I would know whether I could legally enter Japan or not. I wrote a letter to the Japan District. I didn’t expect them to answer me back any time soon.

A week later, I was informed the papers I needed were ready for submission to the immigration office in Japan. The process usually takes two to three months, and there was no guarantee that the Japanese government would even approve my request.

A member of Filipino congregation in Japan called me three weeks later to inform me that my visa was approved. I didn’t know how to react to that good news, but I was very happy. At the same time, I was worried because I was caught flat-footed with so much to do yet in the district and for my family before I could leave.

Now I am in Japan. I have a fresh start in the ministry. I am helping this church to set the vision and fulfill the mission. Our mission statement is the same that the whole Church of the Nazarene around the world is working toward: “To make Christlike disciples in the nations.”

We will start by focusing first on ourselves as members of the church before making an impact on others. We are to be Christlike witnesses before we can make disciples.

The people who had stopped attending this church have started attending again. I am inspired; they are inspired. We encourage one another. We love one another. Everyone feels important in the church. I believe the ministry in Japan will prosper. Equipped with the lessons from my experiences, my education, and with the help of God and the church, this Filipino congregation will succeed. And we have begun that process by identifying at least three more areas for outreach.

-- Rev. Rading Fausto, missionary to Japan