ILOILO CITY – The Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC), the oldest existing Baptist union in the country, recently installed a new secretary general.
REV. Danilo Azuela Borlado (center) and his family during his installation as the new general secretary of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC), the country’s oldest Baptist union.  (Tara Yap)
Rev. Danilo Azuela Borlado officially assumed the helm of the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC) which has its national headquarters here. Founded in 1900 under the foreign mission of the American Baptist Missionary Union, the CPBC has almost 1,000 congregations spread across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Borlado returned to the country to take the helm of the CPBC after serving as pastor for 22 years of the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Hong Kong, a church that ministers to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). His appointment comes at a time when the world is returning to normal from the pandemic. In his message during his installation, Borlado emphasized the need to revive the CPBC by tearing down the walls of division that infiltrated the organization for several years. “Let us pray for God’s wisdom to be upon us all and for one another’s health.  Let us pray that the fire of revival will sweep our churches so we can serve God,” Borlado, who replaced Rev. Dr. Jerson B. Narciso, said.  “By God’s grace and with everyone’s help, we can make CPBC vibrant and great again,” Borlado added. Borlado, who will serve the CPBC for three years, is accompanied by his wife Mary Lou Silencino-Borlado and their two children Jec Dan and Deo Grace. Under the auspices of CPBC are the Jaro Evangelical Church (the first Baptist church in the country), the Central Philippine University, and Iloilo Mission Hospital.