EFC-MARAHAN REACHES 20 YEARS MILESTONE
By Philip Louie Sy
The faithfulness of God is true and evident and has been seen throughout the ages. The same can be seen in what He has done for Evangel Family Church- Marahan and JECPP Tribal Ministries.
Pastor Mivelyn Margate was a Sunday School teacher of EFC-Davao when she heard God called her for pastoral ministry in Marahan, Marilog District. After much prayer, she heeded the call and went to Marahan to evangelize the natives without knowing what God has in store for her. Twenty years later she is the Senior Pastor of Evangel Family Church- Marahan and the head of JECPP Tribal Ministries in Southern Mindanao with her husband Pastor Patricio Margate on her side. Their 2 children are serving in the music ministry.
October 30, 2019 was a momentous day for EFC-Marahan as their members gathered together and diligently prepared for their church’s 20th Year Anniversary and Thanksgiving Celebration. The festive atmosphere started even before the actual program. At exactly 10:00 in the morning the celebration commenced. Everything started when the master of ceremonies, Sister Herminia Dagoldol approached the podium to greet the excited congregation. She eagerly introduced Pastor Patricio Margate who gave an opening prayer. Before giving her own testimony, she first introduced 2 other ladies, Sis. Mary Jane Latimbang and Sis. Gevie Tumaquin, they all gave remarkable testimonies on how God has been faithful in their lives. The music team immediately followed in leading the congregation to Praise and Worship. After which, Pastor Mivelyn Margate introduced the guest speaker, Rev. Peter Wee, Senior Overseer of JECPP and the Senior Pastor of EFC-Davao to share God’s Word but before doing so, Rev. Wee congratulated EFC-Marahan first for their accomplishment and gave a token of appreciation and love gift to Pastor Patricio and Pastor Mivelyn for their 20 years of unwavering service in the Kingdom of God.
Rev. Wee shared about how God gives to His people. He shared that God provides for His people through His own Hands, the Hand of other men, his own Hand himself and through the Hand of man’s enemies. He shared that as Christians we should not be too picky in accepting God’s blessing as He may choose to gift you with His provision through any of these ways. Rev. Wee even remembered that during the time that EFC- Marahan was faced with a devastating fire that burnt their church to the ground, God used that circumstance to bless His people and they now have a brand-new church building that they are very thankful for. Before ending he asked all the tribal pastors in attendance to join him on stage, he anointed each of them with oil and prayed for them for God to bless their ministries. In addition, he prayed for the next 20 years of EFC-Marahan to be more fruitful and more powerful than the last 20 years.
Moreover, Pastor Mivelyn thanked the congregation for standing with her throughout the years and prayed for each of them. The event ended with a lunch fellowship. Everyone was treated with a sumptuous meal as they listen to the music team who continued singing songs of praises and thanksgiving to the one and only source of every good and perfect gift, our Jehovah Jireh, God the Father. To God be all the glory!
