Welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program is Pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor of Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these twenty five minutes together telling you the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We'd like to invite you to join us at Harvest Baptist Church this week. There are two services every week, 8:45AM and 10:45AM on Sunday.
Chris Harper:We have Japanese and Korean translation during the second service at 10:45. That's also when we livestream at hbcguam.org. hbcguam.org. This week, Pastor Larry Nagengast will be preaching in the morning services. Let's begin today's Harvest Time by welcoming Pastor Gary Walton.
Chris Harper:Hi, Pastor.
Gary Walton:Hey, hafa adai, Chris. Around campus, it feels like we're still in the aura of missions conference. God did just such a special work in the life of our church and the connection across our ministries. It really was a great time. This week, we're gonna have the opportunity to to hear back one of the interviews that we did during missions conference week.
Gary Walton:You're gonna hear that in just a second. This Sunday, Chris just mentioned that pastor Larry's gonna be preaching. We have two missions teams that are leaving out from our church actually Sunday morning, both of them. One going to the PI, I think almost 20 people are going. And then a group of our HBBC seniors are leaving to go to Yap and then the Outer Islands.
Gary Walton:I'm actually going to be traveling with that senior group to Yap, and so I won't be here. We'll be leaving early Sunday morning and gone just one week. But Pastor Larry's going to be preaching. It's going to be a fantastic Sunday together. I hope that you'll come and join the Harvest family as we worship God this Sunday.
Gary Walton:We're recording this session of Harvest Time during the first week of March, so even though it's being played a little bit later, we have special guests with us on campus during this week of our Missions Conference, and we thought it would be helpful and we'd enjoy the time of just getting some opportunities to introduce those guests on Harvest Time and to spend a little more time with them so that our church family and others would hear their heart for missions and their heart for ministry. So we're thankful for that. We're really privileged to have in the studio then with us Pastor June Ogilia. Pastor Jun, thank you for being with us on arvest Time.
Jun Oguilla:Pastor Well, thank you so much, Pastor Gary. Thank you so much, brother Chris, for the opportunity, and thank God for what he's doing here in Guam, especially with Harvest Baptist Church and Harvest Christian Academy and Harvest Baptist Bible College. And it's just amazing. I'm always amazed with God's grace, what he's doing everywhere, not only The Philippines
Gary Walton:Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:But also in Guam. Yeah. It is a privilege for me and for my wife, Juvy, who is not here with me Yeah. Because she's having trouble with migraine and some hyperacidity. But it's a great blessing for me to be here.
Gary Walton:Well, it's been great to have both you and Juvy here at our conference. And pastor Jun and Juvy and their family have been friends of Harvest for a while now, a number of years, but this is your first time to be able to travel to Guam and to actually be here.
Jun Oguilla:Yes. Indeed. And, yeah, my wife and I are so blessed to be able to come after having troubles with visa issues. Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:But God, in his own time, enabled us to come, and here we are.
Gary Walton:Now is the right time. God knew that this was the time for you to be Right.
Jun Oguilla:Right.
Gary Walton:Well, we've enjoyed having you here just as a friend of the ministry, but then your ministry in our conference and your connection with our people has just been a blessing. People have really commented on the encouragement that you all have been to us and our church, so thank you for that.
Jun Oguilla:Well, praise God for that.
Gary Walton:Pastor June is a pastor at Maranatha Baptist Church in Bacolod, Philippines. The church is a sister church of Harvest. They have actually some similar ministries. They have a Bible college in their ministry. They have a Christian school that's there.
Gary Walton:And so we've had the privilege of being there. You invited me for a missions conference a few years back. Faith and I, and actually our daughter were able to be with you. We had a great time together. Your church family was so hospitable and welcoming and warm.
Gary Walton:We really enjoyed that together. And then we've been connected through Mark Kittrell, who's also with us, with Haven of Grace Camp and Conference Center and the seminary. And so that's also close to you. Your church is connected there too. So we have a lot of connections over the years.
Gary Walton:It's great to actually have you here.
Jun Oguilla:Yeah. It's indeed a great privilege to be partners with Brother Mark Kittrell, PRMI President at the Haven of Grace Camp and Conference Center, and at the same time, Haven of Grace Seminary with, Doctor. Tim Valiante as her
Gary Walton:Yes.
Jun Oguilla:Dean.
Gary Walton:Yes.
Jun Oguilla:And of course, Harvest, with you, Pastor Gary. And, it's been a long time of friendship and partnership. There were just times that we're not able to connect that often, but praise God. We're now actively working together. And, yes, it's indeed a great blessing.
Gary Walton:Ah, it's great. You've been the lead pastor there since 02/2010. But ministering in that area, I think you said since college, you ended up going to college there. I wanted to tell that story. And then your ministry, youth pastor, music minister, administration of the school before God directed you to the pastorate there.
Gary Walton:But tell us about well, let's back all the way up. Can you tell just your story? Did you grow up in that area? Tell us about growing up in The Philippines, and and then eventually, I'd like to hear how God brought you to himself.
Jun Oguilla:Well, praise God for the life that he gave me. I was born in Manila. I was raised up in a town 150 kilometers south of Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental.
Gary Walton:Okay.
Jun Oguilla:I was raised with parents who loved the Lord. They were nominal Christians. Mhmm. But thank God, they were used by the Lord somehow to raise us up, three of us. I'm the eldest.
Jun Oguilla:I have two younger siblings, ladies, And they were always pushing us to attend Sunday school in our church in Eloge Negro Sociendo, Eloge Baptist Church. Okay. So, we were attending Sunday school together, sometimes together with them, sometimes we were just alone. We were just pushed. Okay.
Jun Oguilla:Go to study school. Go to study school with them staying at home.
Gary Walton:Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:And then, of course, I studied at the elementary school in Ilog and then my secondary education was also there, ELOG Private Academy. And then in 1984, I was given the time after after having been exposed to Bible College training every almost every summer, Almost every summer. There was only one summer that I was not able to attend, Maranatha Baptist Bible College. But I was given the opportunity because my auntie was working, or used to work with pastor Samuel Irving Kolinga as secretary, secretary of the church. So because of her, I was able to go and visit Maranatha and received some kind of training, a bit of a glimpse of how it is to be trained, to be taught, to be taught at a Bible college.
Jun Oguilla:So every summer, almost every summer until I graduated in 1984. I actually was able to yes, we were raised in Sunday school, but I remember it was in the year 1980, summer of 1980, that the Lord touched my heart, the Lord spoke to me, and made me realize that I need him to be my personal savior and Lord. And he used that gospel film showing, gospel film showing the burning hell. Well, I'm that was actually used by the Lord to convict me concerning the consequence of sin, consequence of my sin, that condemnation. Well, I'm well, I'm pretty sure that I was not saved by fear.
Jun Oguilla:I was saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. But I grew in faith when I entered the Bible College in 1984. So since then, I stayed at the Bible school. And then
Gary Walton:And that was at Maranatha Baptist.
Jun Oguilla:Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Villa Monte, Bacolod City.
Chris Harper:Right.
Jun Oguilla:And, yes, stayed there as a working student. Our parents are were are poor were poor, and they could not even send me to school with an ample enough financial support to send us to Bible College. So I entered the Bible College as a working student, as a working student. I trained for two years. I got my certificate of Christian service.
Jun Oguilla:And then I was given the opportunity to be one of the pioneer students of Maranatha Christian College.
Gary Walton:Okay.
Jun Oguilla:And then I studied there for two more years. And then I earned my Bachelor of Christian Ministry there.
Gary Walton:Okay.
Jun Oguilla:Before, I was given the opportunity to be trained in journalism. I studied at one of our universities in Negras, University Of Negras Occidental, Regulators taking up a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication, major in journalism.
Gary Walton:Okay.
Jun Oguilla:And that's the story. So I received my training there. I actually was not aware and conscious at that time that I will be called by God to pastor. I just, young, by his grace, was able to learn to walk with the Lord one step at a time. I didn't even have a sense of calling right at the lamp.
Jun Oguilla:What I know was I love the Lord, and I have a passion for his word and for his work and for souls. That's it. That's the only things that I was I was aware of until he gave me the opportunity to work in a church in one of the barangays in the city of Akalad, Sum Ag Baptist Church, and I worked there for seven years first as an intern student before I became one of the youth pastors, and then I was called by Maranatha Baptist Church through our second pastor, pastor Mouchat Bagilan, to be the youth pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church, part of the pastoral mid pastoral staff in 1992. That was the year after we were married. Juvy and I were married.
Gary Walton:It's very interesting, Pastor Jun. I'm glad that you shared that. And I love that picture. You just had a passion to serve God. You got involved in God's church, serving, trying to reach people, disciple.
Gary Walton:And in that place then, God gave you the clarity that he was calling you to a more full time ministry. I think it's such a I think God's call on young men is different. I don't think there's a cookie cutter way that it happens. And yet I do think the Bible teaches there needs to be this compelling call that separates, you know, somebody to the ministry. And it's interesting hearing your story.
Gary Walton:I think it's very healthy. The church in some ways came alongside and affirmed your gifting. God continued to give you the burdens, and it's probably helpful for some that might be listening and that are wondering, hey, is God calling me to hear your be part of that?
Jun Oguilla:Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:Yeah. The bottom line is if you're a Christian, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you've got to learn to be in step with the Lord. You walk with him every day and then develop and cherish your personal relationship and intimacy with him. And if the call comes, you will be ready.
Gary Walton:Yeah. That's very good. Well, you said you came to the church then, I think you said '92, married just before that. So I've got the stat that says you've been married for thirty three years, right?
Jun Oguilla:That's true.
Gary Walton:Thirty three years together, now have three children, three adult sons. How did you and Juvy meet?
Jun Oguilla:Well, we met at a Bible college. Okay. So she was The love story began when I was in my second year and when she entered
Gary Walton:Okay.
Jun Oguilla:As first year Bible college student. And I had my eye on her the first time I saw her. That was the beginning of the love story of our love story.
Gary Walton:Lots of love stories in the Bible College. Not that's not a bad place. Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:I have been praying I had been praying before that that the Lord would give me a woman having the same heart with me. Heart for the Lord.
Gary Walton:Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:That's the very thing that I would pray, Lord, give me a woman who has a passion for you. Same like minded like minded, same heart with me. I love you and the work that you are giving me right now, so please give me a wife that has the same passion for you.
Gary Walton:Mhmm. That's great. It's great to see the thirty three years history of that.
Jun Oguilla:Yes. Yes.
Gary Walton:The two of you together and how God, has used you. Would you share a little bit of your perspective of the church, not just your church, although that's part of it, but the church broader biblical church in The Philippines. Do you see is the church healthy? Are you optimistic about the future? Is it growing?
Gary Walton:Just just give us a little background for that.
Jun Oguilla:Well, yeah, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ has a definite purpose, and that's for his glory, for his honor. That is founded on the most basic and foundational philosophy that is to honor and glorify him in every area of the life of his church. And, yes, for a church to be healthy, it has to be mission minded. It has to be Christ centered. It has to be Bible based, and it has a clear vision of the glory of God.
Jun Oguilla:So that should be a church, a local church. And that's been our prayer that Maranatha Baptist Church would be that kind of church, a kind of church that honors the Lord in every every area of her of her life, the life of the church. So part of that is that she should be, yeah, mission minded. She should be helping faithfully with all dedication and commitment to help fulfill the Great Commission.
Gary Walton:That's great. I love that definition. Thankful for that. Would you see, in The Philippines, would how do you see the broad view of other churches? Do you see many other churches that have that?
Gary Walton:That's a great definition, those five things. Do you see other churches that are carrying that kind of a spirit, and are they growing? Or yeah. Yeah. Just tell me broadly what's the sense.
Jun Oguilla:Well, positively, yeah, there are churches that are like that. Yeah. They are Christ centered.
Gary Walton:Yes.
Jun Oguilla:They are mission minded. Mhmm. They aim for God's honor and for God's glory. But it's sad, negatively speaking, there are church, there are local churches that are not like that.
Gary Walton:Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:So it's my prayer that these churches, especially those who don't have like minded pastors, pastors that, yeah, really grounded in the word, preaching the word solidly and soundly. So those churches are part of our prayer items. We should be praying for those churches as well.
Gary Walton:Yeah. That's great. I think you'd said that you're gonna be celebrating the sixty third year, this Sunday this that you are Coming back, Yeah. In your presentation to the church family, we saw a number of ministries at the church, some I'm assuming some church plants, some Bible studies in the neighborhoods around your church? Is that what we're seeing?
Jun Oguilla:Yep. Yeah. Well, again, it's only by God's grace that the Lord, the gracious Lord, gave our founding pastor, the late pastor Samuel Irving Colinco Sr, that passion for souls, passion for missions. And he pioneered so many ministries through Maranatha Baptist Church. He even pioneered a radio gospel broadcast, the Gospeltime Radio Broadcast.
Jun Oguilla:And I was privileged to be part of that of that ministry for several years. Great. So, it ran, for several years even until the time of our second pastor, and, it was just brought to a temporary end because of COVID. But we used to have radio ministry as well, gospel time radio broadcast. And even there were also years times that we were having gospel telecasts on TV aired over television.
Jun Oguilla:And those were very important ministries that our founding pastors started, including the Maranatha Baptist Bible College. It was founded in five years after Maranatha Baptist Church was founded. And I'm thankful to the Lord that I'm one of the products of the ministry of the Maranatha Baptist Bible College, it is, even until now Yeah. Very active in producing faithful, dedicated, committed laborers, qualified laborers for the harvest field. Aside from that, we also was were given the opportunity to open a school for the high school, Maranatha Christian College.
Jun Oguilla:Used to be a college, but now it is only operating for the junior high and the senior high.
Gary Walton:Okay.
Jun Oguilla:Maranatha Christian College. And also in 1986, we were given the opportunity to open a preschool, a pre elementary, and elementary school using the School of Tomorrow curriculum, the ACE curriculum. That's Maranatha Christian Mhmm. Academy. And then we also have been given the opportunity to minister to the indigents, the poorest of the poor, where my wife, Juvy, is, one of the setter heads.
Jun Oguilla:We have actually two, two setters. One is, also headed by my sister-in-law, and the other one is headed by my wife, Juvy. Ministering to in our place about 80 to 89, we're projecting to have 90 this year. 90 sponsored children, indigent children, reaching them with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, reaching their families with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, providing them a kind of holistic ministry. Not only feeding them, giving them food, giving them vitamins, helping with their education, but reaching them for the Lord Jesus Christ, nurturing them in their faith so that later they might be they will be become they will become productive in the ministry, in the gospel ministry, and for the kingdom of God and for his glory's sake.
Gary Walton:Yeah. Amen. Thank you for your faithfulness of the church there. You know, Pastor June, there are different seasons of life, you know, as you've ministered over time. As you look back, can you think of any big challenges or big lessons that you've learned in any of the seasons of life?
Gary Walton:And and maybe anything that that you can tell us about the burdens of of different seasons.
Jun Oguilla:So many challenges in the ministry.
Gary Walton:Yeah.
Jun Oguilla:There are lots. Personally, the ministry is but, you know, tiresome. It's tiresome. It requires lots of your energy. But thank God, we're just instruments.
Jun Oguilla:He's the one working in us. He's the one enabling us. He's the one giving us the power. And we're not serving by our own strength. We are serving by his own strength.
Jun Oguilla:So so the physical demand, is just, very awesome. Very, requires you so much energy. Family wise, you've got to be, you've got to be balanced when it comes to managing your time. So many things to do, many areas, so much so that you should not you should not neglect your relationship with your wife and your responsibility for your children along and serving the Lord with them, not just serving the Lord without them. So just like what Joshua said, what did he what did he say?
Jun Oguilla:As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. So those were challenges that by his grace were able to hurdle and were were able to overcome. The greatest challenge in the ministry is the problem of sin. The problem of, you know, purity, how to how to keep serving the Lord with a pure heart Mhmm. With a pure life, having a testimony that would reflect the glory and the purity of the Lord.
Jun Oguilla:So I cannot, I cannot, I cannot express it on air. Sure. I was challenged by a one time in our in in my life and ministry that it was so broken because of sin, because of the effect of sin in one of the ministers and persons that I looked up to and I considered and respected as a as a man of God who was supposed to be dedicated and committed to the work, but there was something behind because of sin, because of morality, because of moral issues. That was my greatest challenge, actually.
Gary Walton:Yeah. Yeah. It's a time, you and I've talked about that a little before, but where you have to put your eyes on Jesus. Indeed. Right?
Gary Walton:And stay faithful to what God's called Thank you, Pastor Jun, for your faithfulness over the years and the privilege that we've had to have just a personal friendship. Faith and I both appreciate that with you and Juvy. Your oldest son and his wife, Josh and Leih, are here on our team, on our staff. We're so glad to have them and that God's using them here among us. We're thankful for the friendship and looking forward to how God continues to grow that.
Jun Oguilla:We rejoice. We're indeed rejoicing with you, especially with Leih, with Josh and Leih actively and passionately lovingly serving the Lord with you. We're so glad. We're so happy to know that and to see what the Lord is doing in their lives and through them.
Gary Walton:Yeah. Amen. We're thankful for that.
Jun Oguilla:We're thankful too.
Chris Harper:Well, thank you for listening to this Harvest Time. At this point in the program, we always wanna personally invite you again to services at Harvest Baptist Church. Two services Sunday morning, 08:45AM, 10:45AM. We do have Japanese and Korean translation during the 10:45AM service. That's also the service we broadcast live here on 88.1 FM and KHMG.org.
Chris Harper:We hope to see you this Sunday. Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.