Eight pastors and their families were set apart for the gospel ministry in a sacred ordination service held at Pasay Adventist Church on October 25, 2025, under the theme “Forge: Shaped by His Hand, Strengthened by His Spirit, Serving for His Glory.”
The Central Luzon Conference (CLC) of the Seventh-day Adventist Church held its 2025 Ordination Service at Pasay Adventist Church on October 25, 2025, a deeply spiritual ceremony that celebrated God’s call upon eight pastors and their families. The event gathered pastors, leaders, and members from across the conference in a moving recognition of God’s grace and the sacred responsibility of ministry.
The program, themed “Forge: Shaped by His Hand, Strengthened by His Spirit, Serving for His Glory,” opened with hymns of praise and the timeless theme song “How Firm a Foundation.” The ordinands were presented by Pr. Danilo Anillo, CLC Ministerial Secretary, and Pr. Ronnie Almazan, Associate Ministerial Secretary.
Those ordained to the gospel ministry were Pr. Stephen L. Antonio, Pr. Joey B. Bonggaitan, Pr. Josiah Sarmiento Esguerra, Pr. Samuel R. Fernando Jr., Pr. Christian Noel C. Galang, Pr. Henry B. Magada, Pr. Errand F. Ong, and Pr. Rovel John R. Pablo, together with their supportive spouses.
A Message on the Three C’s of Ministry
Delivering the ordination message, Pr. Daniel Malabad, President of the Northern Luzon Philippine Union Mission (NLPUM), centered his sermon on the “Three C’s of Pastoral Ministry”: Calling, Consecration, and Commission. He reminded the ordinands that ordination is not a promotion but a divine calling, rooted in God’s purpose rather than human ambition.
“The call to ministry is not something we create; it is something we receive,” he said. “Fulfill your ministry, don’t just begin it, finish it. There is a crown waiting not for the famous but for the faithful.”
Pr. Malabad urged the pastors to lead with humility and holiness, living lives of character rather than charisma, and to preach the Word faithfully in season and out of season.
“The call to ministry is not something we create; it is something we receive,” he said. “Fulfill your ministry, don’t just begin it, finish it. There is a crown waiting not for the famous but for the faithful.”
Pr. Daniel Malabad
Welcome to the Ministry
Following the message, Pr. Noel Galang, President of the Central Luzon Conference, formally welcomed the new pastors into the ranks of ordained ministry, outlining five key reminders for their sacred journey. He described ordination as both privilege and responsibility, affirming that it is “a divine appointment, not merely a human recognition.”
He welcomed them into the brotherhood of service among the more than 22,000 ordained ministers worldwide, calling them to lead with humility, compassion, and integrity through servant leadership. “Study the Word, preach the Word, love your family, and serve the people wholeheartedly,” he encouraged.
A Charge to the Ministerial Spouses
The service also honored the vital role of ministerial spouses. Ma’am Lanie Malabad, NLPUM Ministerial Spouses Association (MSA) Coordinator, offered a heartfelt charge to the wives, describing their calling as sacred and indispensable to their husbands’ ministry. “A good wife is indispensable to a successful ministry,” she reminded.
She urged them to love the Lord fully, nurture their families as their first mission field, and serve faithfully alongside their husbands with faith, humility, and grace. Her message highlighted that the ordination of a pastor is also a divine call for the spouse, a call to strength, dignity, and wisdom in supporting God’s work.
Adding to this welcome, Ma’am Hazel Viernes, CLC MSA Coordinator, greeted the newly ordained pastors’ wives by name, formally inducting them into the Ministerial Spouses Association. She reminded them from Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 that “two are better than one,” and assured them that they now belong to a spiritual sisterhood devoted to prayer, service, and encouragement.
Drawing from 1 Peter 4:10 and James 1:2–4, she encouraged them to use their gifts faithfully, find blessings amid challenges, and embrace the joy of walking beside their husbands in the Lord’s service. The welcome concluded with the presentation of flowers, books, and tokens of appreciation from the MSA officers.
A Sacred Moment of Consecration
The ordination reached its most solemn moment during the dedicatory prayer and ministerial vow, when the ordinands knelt in humble surrender as church leaders laid hands upon them, committing their lives anew to God’s service. The prayer, offered with deep emotion, invoked the Holy Spirit’s anointing upon each pastor, sealing their calling with divine blessing. The newly ordained pastors then responded in affirmation, pledging their commitment to the sacred covenant of ministry and to serve faithfully wherever God may lead.
The ceremony closed with the assurance that the One who called them will also sustain them, shaping them by His hand, strengthening them by His Spirit, and sending them forth to serve for His glory.
