Marikina Church History
The very first ministerial work of the God Is Alive Christian Ministries dates back for six years, and that was 1980, when there was a manifestation of miraculous or divine healing of a sick man who suffered a lot from cancer, in Jose Abad Santos, San Roque, Marikina, Metro Manila, when a group of “born again Christians” prayed for him. One of these Christians was Connie Enriquez (formerly Connie Buendia ), a very close relative of the healed man. Through this miracle, the whole family saw the wonderful and mighty power of the living God and some of the members got born again.
At that same year, Connie and the people who were with her in the ministry were all first year students at the Foursquare Bible College. From the time that God showed His healing power to the people of San Roque, Connie had three same visions for three consecutive nights wherein God spoke to her heart and impressed to her putting up a Bible study in the garage of their house in San Roque where the man who was healed from cancer was residing at that time. She was bothered of this vision and so she prayed for it and waited for some confirmations from the Lord. Until finally, Romy Abit, her prayer partner and one of those who were with her when the miracle took place, approached her and proposed a plan of putting up a Bible study in the very place where God was impressed to her, without any knowledge of what she saw in the visions and that she was praying for it. And so, Connie Buendia, Romy Abit, Bing Jimenez and Simplex Biyo made the planning to execute the vision, agreed in prayer, and asked for God’s directions and instructions.
It was November 22, 1980 when the first Bible study group of God Is Alive Christian Ministries (Note: there was no name yet for the group) was held at the garage of Connie Buendia’s residence in San Roque, Marikina. At first, there were only eight persons who attended, including the four Bible students who initiated the ministry. The garage was not so big or wide, but most of the time, there were two groups holding their fellowship simultaneously: the Bible study on the right side, and “wine-drinking session “ on the left side of the garage. The attendees of the Bible study were the mother of Connie and her sisters, while the attendees of the other session were the brothers of Connie and their seven friends who were the members of the PROFAEX (Professional Abnormal Experts ).
After a month, Romy invited the PROFAEX to attend the Bible study and so they came. Gerry Depano, who is now the President of the Board of Directors-National and the Pastor of God Is Alive Christian Ministries-Marikina, was one of the members of the group and a brother of Romy’s friend. That is why Romy was able to have a contact with the PROFAEX group. Gerry was considered to be the “worst of ‘em all” of the group because of his character as a wild guy, a drug user and pusher, a medium/spiritist, and a mind reader. It so happened that the time when the group attended the Bible study, there was a guest speker who was pasturing a well-known Christian church. When they heard the pastor saying that “ a born again Christian does not commit sin”, they were confused and finally convinced by their own evaluation that the teachings in the Bible study was not the truth. In effect, they were offended and did not attend anymore. Like some of those people who used to come out of curiosity or just came to investigate what they were doing, they would come once and they would go. In other words, there were no permanent attendees or members at that period aside from the Buendia family.
Months after, while the Bible study continued in its ministry, Gerry got sick and had a brain tumor. He was confined at the hospital for a long period of time until finally, doctors and other medical specialists quitted from his case believing that he was hopeless and no medicine could cure him. One night, it was July 7, 1981, while he was in his room at the hospital; he was tempted by Satan to commit suicide. Because of bitterness and discouragement, he was about to end his life when God intervened. God talked to him in his heart while he remembered what he heard about the love of God and his plan of saving people. God touched him. At that very moment, he repented and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. And while he was praying, there was a very very bright light that shone in the entire room and he knew that it was the presence of God and that the Spirit of the Lord came upon him.
It was a miracle! He was healed from brain tumor. Hallelujah! And on the next day, went out of the hospital and attended the Bible study at that night on the same day. There he made his public confession and acceptance in the Lord.
July 12, 1981, the four spiritual leaders of the Bible study went to Jaen, Nueva Ecija for a mission. They prayed for a sick relative of one of their Christian friends to be healed. God showed again his great power in that place. The sick were healed and more miracles, signs and wonders were manifested. Romy Abit saw the needs of the people and he was burdened to work there and evangelized the Word of God. So, he decided to pioneer in that place where he met and married his wife, Felomina Dayne.
The time when Romy Abit committed himself to minister in Jaen, Nueva Ecija, it was also the time when the other leaders of the ministry dispersed. Bing Jimenez fled to Middle East for a job and Simplex Biyo committed to other Christian church, which was the Miracle Revival Church. It was Connie Buendia who remained faithful in the God Is Alive Church but only for a very short time. After she got married to Randolph Enriquez, she fled to United States with her husband, leaving the ministry in Metro Manila to her disciple, Gerry Depano. At that time, Gerry was so zealous and active in the ministry though he was only a “baby Christian”. God used him in outreaches until he was able to organize a Bible study in U.E. Village which was so successful and fruitful.
November 1981, the ministry was licensed upon the approval of the Security and Exchange Commission to operate legally in the Philippines as a non-stock, non-profit religious organization, bearing its first name: GOD IS ALIVE CHARISMATIC FELLOWSHIP.
The early part of the year 1982 was a period when the ministry faced a lot of trials, problems and persecutions. One of the great persecutions was happened in San Roque, Marikina. One time, when they were holding their Bible study or service rather, a procession of the Catholic church stationed right in front of the garage where the service was going on by the leadership of the priest, carrying the graven image of the “Virgin Mary” and a crucifix. They intended this procession for them to hinder the ministry and of course to stop them in preaching because many of the members of the Catholic religion were born again. While they were rallying, the priest sprinkled “holy water” to the people who were inside the fellowship and at the same time, the people outside were saying the “rosary”.
There was also an instance when Jaime Cardinal Sin summoned Gerry Depano and proposed for a “reconciliation”, “requesting” him to stop preaching the Gospel and “recommend “ him to be loyal “once again” to the Catholic church. He also asked Gerry to kiss his black ring on his finger but he refused to do it.
Sometimes, there were also some people who used to throw stones at the roof of the garage while the service was being held. Sometimes, some people cause noises to distract the service.
At the same year, God Is Alive Church was also persecuted in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. Policemen at the command of the City Mayor captured Romy Abit. They put him in prison. They charged him as cult leader, that is, he influenced the people to rise against Catholicism and causing them to be demon possessed. It was only the people whom God used in order to save Romy, the people who were already born again.
In the middle part of the year 1982, the month of June, two members of the GIACF (former name) decided to commit in the ministry and to enroll in the Bible school. Since these two people were members of the GIACF-Jaen, Romy guided them until they were enrolled at the Foursquare Bible College. They were Edward Galang and Bernardo Dela Cruz. There was also one in GIACF*-Marikina who decided to enroll in the Bible school and that was Gerry Depano.
1983 was the year when the church was spiritually down because of the problems that arose between the members. There was a division. One of the causes of this division was that the people or the members of the church looked to the leaders rather than to Christ. In other words, the foundation of their faith was laid on the leaders and not on the Word of God. Another reason was that there was no one to minister the church when Gerry Depano’s commitment was not solely for the GIACF. The result of those problems was so discouraging that the time came when there were only three persons remained faithful in the ministry, which comprised the song leader, the speaker and the guitarist. But praise the Lord… that condition did not last long. In the beginning of the year 1983, the church grew little by little until finally the garage could not accommodate already the whole church. So, they decided to transfer to the Kentucky Restaurant, Marikina. At that time also, Gerry Depano committed fully to GIACF.
The only problem that the church had faced in that place was the finances. At first they had an offering amounting to twenty pesos each service while they were paying seventy pesos per hour for the use of the hall. It was considered as a miracle of God by the leaders of the church at that time the how and why the church were able to cope up with the expenses from the very first time it started till it transferred again to another place where it stays until this present time.
In the year 1985, the God Is Alive Charismatic Fellowship was amended and was changed to God Is Alive Christian Ministry, Incorporated. And finally, it was again amended and was changed to God Is Alive Christian Ministries when Rev. Pastor Gerry Depano was appointed President of the Board of Directors-National on May, 1986.
Presently, the God Is Alive Christian Ministries is growing in its quantity and quality because of the fast change of its phasing. New programs and activities are being launched. Presently also, the vision for which the whole church is working for is the purchasing of the church properties and the construction of the church building. Included to these, the expansion of its programs and other areas of ministries such as the children development, the youth church expansion and the planting of new churches in other parts of the country.
