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The Evangelizing Family of Pastor Allan and Sister Mayette Guerrero
Posted on Monday, 14 March 2016
The
Evangelizing Family of Pastor Allan
and
Sister Mayette Guerrero
by Apolinario Villalobos
The first time I took notice of the
Christian church in an unpretentious ground floor room of an old wooden
building, and that could have seen better days as a commercial stall along F.
Torres St. was when I heard the song that the congregation was singing with the
officiating pastor. I retraced my steps to take a look at the name of the
congregation – “Jesus Christ Majesty Ministry” simply printed on a tarpaulin and
attached to the wall above the elevated area that served as the pulpit. And,
from where I stood in the middle of the street, I discerned the minister to be
boyish, so I thought the congregation was akin to what volunteer young
evangelists organize for a weekend, as it was a Sunday. I was expecting that
after the service, the organizers would pack up and go to another place.
The following weekend, another Sunday, when
I passed by the same building I was surprised the worship hall prepared for a
service, though still empty of members. I was tempted to linger and gawk at the
musical equipment in front of eclectic rows of plastic chairs. Just then, I
heard somebody greet me and was surprised to learn that he was the minister I
saw the weekend before. He was changing into a proper attire befitting a
pastor. He introduced himself as Pastor Allan Guerrero and the lady who
approached us, he introduced as his wife, Sister Mayette who was in-charge of
the Sunday school which again caught me by surprise as I could not discern any
trace of such, until I was told that it was situated just behind the worship
hall.
The couple led me through a short corridor
until we came out into a small “patio” surrounded with doors, one of which was
that of the school’s. They showed me the well-kept school, very neat, with
linoleum-covered floor, and walls pasted with patiently- cut teaching aids.
Three layers of shelves served as the “library” stacked with a few books. The
tough effort to make the small room become an effective breeding venue for
Christian learning was very obvious. Sister Mayette told me that some of those
who attend the Sunday school are children of sidewalk and pushcart-dwelling
families around the area….real people who need the graceful touch of the
Guerrero family.
The Sunday school has been in operation for
twelve years and six months and depended solely on donations – books, school
materials and trickles of cash for the rent which is five thousand pesos per
month. A little more than two years ago, when the big room facing the street
and through which Sister Mayette and the children wormed their way to the school was vacated, Pastor
Allan immediately did all possible to have it for his congregation’s use. From
then, on every Sunday even the couples’ children: Aillene Marie, who finished Music Technology;
Katleen Mae, who finished Journalism; Heaven Leigh who finished BS-HRM; and Dan
Joshua who is in Grade 10, join them in their spiritual crusade. The whole family has to wake up early as they
live in Meycauayan, Bulacan and must muster the traffic on their way to the
church on F. Torres St. in Sta. Cruz district of Manila.
Pastor Allan and Sister Mayette confided
that they started with a simple keyboard to provide accompaniment to their
songs until friends who refused to be named started donating musical equipment.
Donors also send Bibles, books and materials for the Sunday school. They glow
with gladness as they related to me how their congregation that they
continuously propagate with dedication, patience and hard work has grown.
The evangelizing Guerrero family showed
that sharing the Words of God does not always need a grandiose edifice or
impressive structure with heavenward pinnacles. All one needs is dedication
tempered with unconditional love for fellowmen to become an effective
mouthpiece of God on earth. In other words, all that such dedication needs is a
big heart that throbs with LOVE.
I did not tie the couple up with a lengthy
conversation as they had yet, to prepare the church for the ten o’clock worship…but
I told myself that it won’t be the last of my visit.
