Filipino believers find solace in multitude of small churches

Sunday church service

The number of Christian churches, attended largely by the Filipino community in the region, has been increasing, with some located in buildings in Macau that are not traditionally used for religious practice. Macau now boasts a multitude of small churches that are popular amongst fervent Filipino believers.
The new churches in the territory have taken on unorthodox names, such as “Radiance of Christ Ministries,” “Emmanuel International Ministries,” “Jesus Alive Ministry,” and “Bordergate Baptist Church.” These churches have housed congregations consisting of a large number of Filipino and other overseas workers residing in the territory.
Although some Filipino workers remain faithful to their Roman Catholic religion, as it is the most popular faith in the Phillipines, several of them are practicing Protestantism.
João Felix da Silva, a Brazilian pastor in Macau recalled he has seen a steady increase in the involvement of the Filipino community since he initiated a Portuguese protestant church some 18 years ago.
Since then, as the community grew, Felix da Silva saw a great need for a church where the increasing number of Filipino immigrants could congregate.
“They have always been in need [of a church], aside from the ones established here. They need support, especially those who come from different backgrounds,” he explained. Felix da Silva said that some churches attract particular groups of people belonging to one ethnicity or another, as the numbers that make up the emerging parish community come from a select number of backgrounds.
The pastor claims that he helped register over 50 local churches to function as part of the legal church association.
Yet despite the rapid development of establishing churches, the pastor admitted that one could not keep up with the number of congregations, as the majority of the attendees do not settle permanently in Macau. The Filipino community has also found a home in smaller church communities and are attending church services on Sundays.
Most of the churches also provide emotional support to those who have been oppressed or abused by their employers. “Filipinos nowadays like to feel at home, they have their own food stores, gatherings; and when they find some place [to be involved] they spend time there,” da Silva explained.
Echoing the same sentiments, Glenn Pablo, a pastor of a Filipino church said that a sense of belonging is one of the major factors that explains why this community is growing.
Unlike in traditionally designed churches where the community attends a mass on a Sunday, these protestant churches offer activities, just like any other Christian denomination.
“It’s one of the major factors of church growth in Macau. Especially the overseas foreign workers, they treat the church as their second family. So they give time to join the community because they look for comradeship,” said Pablo.

Glenn Pablo (middle)

Pablo, who is currently pastoring a Filipino church called Radiance of Christ International Ministries (RCMI), explained that  Christianity is composed of different denominations including Evangelical, Baptist, Lutheran and Pentecostal, and such groups have seen opportunities to expand in Macau.
The expansion had caused the formation of several churches with different names but with the same goal: to “share the gospel and lead people to Christ.”
Yet, with the growing number of attendees comes the surge of rentals, thus these churches have been affected by the extreme challenge of the region’s rental rates.
“It’s very unfortunate that a church can’t do anything and there’s no other option but to grab existing rental rates because otherwise you will not be able to maintain and accommodate the number of attendees,” he explicated.

Most of these churches end up in industrial buildings as the median rent of commercial spaces in the region has so far tripled. Some churches pay rent that ranges between MOP15,000 and MOP30,000 per month.
“Macau is not a place to consider having an owned place, you have to keep up the rent. In the past it was easy but for the last ten years it has become a struggle for many churches,” da Silva explained.
Protestant churches have also registered an association called “Macau Evangelical Ministerial Association” in a bid to support each other’s activities. The association serves as a platform to better boost and promote their organizations.
The association conducts festive activities such as Christmas parties where they unite churches to show solidarity.
“It’s also a way to show that these kinds of religious organizations could help them in their times of need,” Pablo added.
The pastor explained that these small churches also give financial support to those in need through voluntary contribution.
“We can ask for the congregation’s help if we know someone is in need, to share the burden among us,” he explained.
According to the pastors the Times interviewed, there is no financial commitment required from an individual to belong to a church.
Such churches operate through voluntary giving called “tithes and offerings.”
“It’s not compulsory to give but for those who are willing to become a part of the volunteer working force, [tithes and offerings] are part of their commitment,” Pablo explained.
As different churches have diverse strategies to reach out to the local community, Pablo highlighted that the church he is pastoring also coordinates with local non-government associations.
Such associations include Caritas Macau’s home for the aged, the drug rehabilitation center in Ka Ho and an orphanage.
“We do yearly [visits] to these organizations to become part of the community,” he noted.

Consular assistance

The religious groups also serve as a platform to disseminate information from the designated consulates. Previously, the Philippine Consulate General in Macau Lilybeth Deapera told the Times that meetings would be held with leaders of religious and non-religious organizations to help disseminate relevant information to the community. These religious groups also provide assistance to migrant workers with visa and work issues by accommodating them and connecting them with the relevant authorities.