Following the approval of the Church Administration, the leadership of the Ecclesiastical District of Masbate in the Philippines officially inaugurated two group worship services (GWS) at the same day on August 2, 2023.

The district supervising minister, Brother Nepthalie D. Panes, officiated at the inaugural worship service of the Looc GWS. The assistant district supervising minister, Brother Ramon Dollesin, on the other hand, presided over that of the Naipit GWS.

Church members residing in Brgy. Looc, Naro Island, Cawayan, Masbate had all the more reason to thank God as they no longer have to travel more than two hours on a boat to reach the mainland to attend worship services with the Cawayan Local Congregation.

“We thank the Lord God, through the instrumentality of the Church Administration under our beloved Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, that a place of worship was built in this island where the brethren can continue serving and worshiping the Lord,” expressed Brother Panes.

For the brethren from the Naipit GWS gone too were the times when they had to travel more than 20 minutes via motorboat to reach the Cataingan Port and another 30 minutes of land travel to reach the house of worship of the Cataingan Local Congregation to attend worship services.

Among the factors that lead to the establishment of both GWS was the increase of the number of members in the area. This, according to Brother Dollesin, was due to the “diligence of the brethren in helping out in the intensified work of propagation in unity with the Church Administration.”

It is foremost to the Lord God that the assistant district minister attributed the growth of the Church not only in Looc and Naipit but in the whole of Masbate. “Most of all, without the help of our Almighty God, Church membership in our district will not keep growing and growing,” he said. — With reports from Roxanne Altarejos and Raenier Moral of INC News Section