Edmond Macaraeg, pastor of the Davao City and Mindanao congregations of the United Church of God (UCG), traveled to Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, last July 21, 2006 (two days after the conclusion of the first Asia Leadership Conference), to meet for the second time with a much larger group affiliated with the Jerusalem Church of God (JCG). With him were his son Richard and Paul Cebrian, elder from Butuan City, Mindanao. Included in the party were Raul Villacote, elder of Tacloban City and Leyte Congregations and Leyte local leaders Jose Campos and Vicente Noriega (these latter three were former members of the JCG).

Due to some travel delays, they arrived Pagadian City about 7 p.m. that Friday (after an 11-hour land trip from Davao City). The host JCG pastor, together with many of his members met and welcomed them. Part of the agenda was to finalize the venue and the format of the Sabbath services to be held the following day.

Almost a hundred members, including six pastors of the JCG from nearby areas attended the Sabbath service held at GSP Camp Kaligayahan on July 22, 2006. A Sabbath program brochure was printed and distributed naming this particular Sabbath a “Special Sabbath Fellowship” with the UCG delegation.

Mr. Macaraeg was assigned to deliver the Bible Message (Main Sermon Message). His topic was titled “Walking with God,” giving reference to the lives of God’s servants, including Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Isaac, as they obeyed God’s laws and ordinances. In the progressive revelation of truths as found in the Bible, and in our journey following God, we do not immediately have adequate knowledge of the things about God upon our call to salvation. He mentioned the case of Apollos in Acts 18:24-28 who was a great preacher, but then imperfect in his understanding of God’s truths, for which Aquila and Priscilla “expounded the way of God more perfectly [to him].” Through the persecutions upon God’s people through the centuries, much true knowledge had also been lost. At these end times when knowledge was prophesied to increase (Daniel 12:4), it behooves us in our spiritual walk with God to “grow in grace and knowledge...” he concluded.

In the afternoon of that Sabbath, Mr. Macaraeg showed a three-hour PowerPoint lecture about God’s seven annual Holy Days and their meaning regarding God’s master plan for the salvation of all humanity. It caught the interest of some members and pastors, causing them to ask questions and clarifications regarding the validity and observance of these Holy Days in the light of the objections they have heard in the past. With God’s help, every question was satisfactorily answered from the Scriptures.

 It is a fact that the seven annual Holy Days of God (except the first one, Passover) were not a part of the fundamental beliefs and doctrines of the JCG. But some members who subscribed to and studied UCG’s literature with open minds learned the importance of obeying God in these matters, and as a result broke away from their mother organization in order to be found faithful to God’s Word. This development in the JCG organization gave impetus for their leadership to invite UCG representatives to do a formal presentation on the subject. Of course, the explanation sounded new and refreshing to those who heard it for the first time, when viewed in the light of the objections they all heard about it before.

After the Sabbath service, their national JCG Elder made an announcement requesting all pastors to join in a closed-door meeting. The meeting was eventually done Saturday night after dinner. He mentioned that there were some JCG members already willing to observe the Holy Days, but because of financial constraints, some could not still make it. He also opened the discussion on possible ways in which they can be united with UCG. Since not all JCG pastors were then present, nothing along this agenda was finalized in that meeting, until he can meet and find agreement with the other absent JCG ministers.

We leave the outcome of these matters to the wisdom, power, and love of God.

Editor’s Note: Jose Campos is a local leader serving the Tacloban City and other Leyte congregations in the Visayas area of the Philippines