The Area 10 Elders' Academy 3rd level, designed to educate local church leaders in the different aspects of church work, produced 44 graduates on January 30, 2010 at the Philippine International Church (PIC), Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP), Silang, Cavite.
Held toward the end of the Area 10's camp meeting, the graduation presented the graduates, 15 of whom were women, in black togas with the citation of the position/s they hold in their respective local churches.
Equipped Elders. A graduate receives certification from the officers of the church and the organizers of the Area 10 Elders' Academy. The graduates learned various aspects of church leadership through their trainings and studies.
After a year of learning and training held two Sundays each month concerning local church administration and management, homiletics, worship, biblical interpretation, nurturing believers, conflict management, church planting and other related areas of discipline, they were finally conferred certificates as graduates by the Central Luzon Ministerial secretary, Pastor Diosdado Fofue, who served as guest speaker.Fofue pointed out that when it comes to serving the church, ‘service is our business, and business is our service.'
"Inilagay tayo ng Panginoon sa ministeryo, (We were placed by God in the ministry), so we need to take care of the flock of God," Fofue said.
Pastor Alfredo Gulfan, Southern Asia Pacific Division (SSD) president, who gave the inspirational message, also challenged them like in the days of Joshua to ‘be strong'.
"... be of good courage, do not turn to the right and to the left," said Gulfan. "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night."
Among the instructors in the Elders' Academy were: Jim Park, Reuel Almocera, and Bienvenido Mergal of Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS); Jade Hintay, district pastor of Lower Cavite III-B; Pastor Ferdinand Barcoma, Elders' Academy director; and Pastor Ardison Bernardo, Area 10 chairman.
Henerito Dotusme, one of the graduates from Iba group in Silang said, "Ako'y talagang nasiyahan sa pagtatapos ng Elders' Academy at ako'y naniniwala na malaking pakinabang ito sa pangunguna sa iglesiya. Maraming salamat po sa bumubuo ng programa! (I am very happy for this Elders' Academy graduation and I believe that this is of great benefit for church leadership. Thank you to the organizers of the program!)"
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