By Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

The webinar was attended by 64 participants mostly coming from members of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.

The CPU School of Graduate Studies, through its outreach program, held a Virtual Financial Management Seminar entitled “Money-ging, Ministry and Me” last November 13, 2021. There were 64 attendees mostly coming from churches of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.

The Opening Prayer was given by Achi Imchen, a Master of Divinity student from Nagaland, India. Rev. Jenkins Bañas, Coordinator of the Financial Management Class, gave the greetings and rationale of the webinar. Ms. Ronalyn Faustino, a Master of Divinity student, and a staff of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches introduced the lecturers.

The first lecture was entitled “Accountabilities and Controls in Churches” given by Dr. Rowena M. Libo-on, Dean of the CPU School of Graduate Studies. After an icebreaker led by Pastor Hanniel Pendon, an M.Div. student, the second lecture followed. Ms. Charis Emelynn Bautista, a CPA and a faculty member at the University of the Philippines Visayas, delivered a lecture on “Financial Policies and Procedures for Churches.”

According to Dr. Libo-on, “It is the responsibility of an individual or organization to account for its programs and activities, accept responsibility, carry out the projects/programs in very transparent ways.” Furthermore, she said that this webinar aimed “To help churches put order to their record and other operational activities especially those that involve money and properties.”

Ms. Bautista, the second lecturer, started her lecture by reading Leviticus 19:35 – 36 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt.”

She shared her reflection of these verses – “As I meditated on this verse, I realized that the God of the Israelites, by giving this command, concerned himself with the technicalities of how His chosen people go about their financial transactions because He wanted them to pursue holiness.”

She ended her lecture with this challenge: “We, as brothers and sisters of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches and other churches and Christian non-profit organizations, worship the God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, who brought the Israelites out of Egypt and us from out of the darkness and into His marvelous light. We, as His chosen people called to proclaim the His excellencies, worship Him in all aspects of our life, whether it be a visible as preaching or teaching or singing in church, or as silent as taking office to keep the records of the house of the Lord in order.”

The two lectures were followed by a lively open forum and was ably moderated by Pastor Justine Palmes-Mije. The closing prayer was given by Rev. Jesse Magno.