"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" - Philippians 1:4

Welcome to the official website of the Sunbeam Bible Baptist Church. We pray that every information you will find in this site will be a blessing to you and hope that you will be a channel of blessing to your friends and loved ones.

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 The pages that marked the beginnings of the Olongapo Sunbeam Bible Baptist Church celebrates the divine will and plan of the Almighty God in this part of the world. It was manifested in the annals of its history the commitment and conviction of men and women who have become instrumental in establishing this church.

The house in No. 30-2nd St., West Tapinac will be remembered as the place where the birth of this church took place, and every moment since that blessed day of March 5, 1961, had been a testimony of the painstaking but rewarding struggle of its first congregation, which by the grace of God toiled to establish this church.

With 28 chartered members, headed by the missionary Rev. Howard Quinlan, the Olongapo Baptist Church was conceptualized with a unanimous vote for Rev. Mar Arias as its first pastor. Even then, the church was organized so as to acknowledge its role in assisting missions in other places. A tithe of the tithes and offerings back then was allotted for this purpose.

On April 9, 1961, on a vote of 15 to 1, the members decided to change its name to Bible Baptist Church to distinguish its affiliation to the BBFI or Baptist Bible Fellowship Inc. of USA. With Rev. Arias at its helm, the church began its initial efforts to establish a permanent place for its congregational and worship services. And with a loan from the Bible Baptist Fellowship Inc., the church then was truly on its way to setting down roots. The efforts to include all available and willing hands in the service of God have become evident when on October 1961, the church had organized committees reminiscent of some of the church groups we have today. They have organized the men and women of the church into fellowship groups.

On its teething pains and organizational struggle, the church elected 3 deacons to assist the pastor. They were Bro. Dean Finch, Bro. Vic Edillon and Bro. Teofilo Amores. Rev. Arias then was in Law School as well as in the Bible school. He continued to be a commuting pastor but finally, the work load took its toll. The pastor had to choose. He decided to finish his studies.

The church saw the need to invite Rev. Elgy Tamon, a missionary pastor, to be the pastor of the church. His brother, Rev. Luding Tamon, another missionary pastor, helped out until Rev. Tamon accepted God’s call for him to be the pastor of the church on August 1963.

Then on December 18, 1963, Bro. Jose Talaguit was elected to replace Bro. Finch with Bro. Edillon and Papang Amores retaining their seats. It was also agreed upon that their term of office will be for one year. Under Rev. Tamon, the church began to clearly define the commitment and responsibilities of its members cognizant to Christian attitude and discipline. Any member who failed to attend the church services for six months without exempting circumstances was dropped out of the church roll. It is also interesting to note that they held their prayer meeting on a Thursday night. During his tenure, the church was geared to recognize the need to evangelize the city actively.

But on May 1964, Pastor Tamon tendered his irrevocable resignation because he felt that God has other plans for him. The church had no choice but to accept his decision. The members then elected 5 deacons to take the place of the pastor. They were Bro. Vic Edillon (who was also elected as the chief deacon), Bro. T. Amores, Bro. J. Talaguit, Bro. J. Jose and Bro. Mar Pastollero. Bro. Pastolero was also then the church clerk. These men had the task of running the affairs of the church.

God deemed it necessary that His church would not go long without a pastor. Sure enough, He knocked on the heart of Bro. Vic Edillon, then the acting pastor and chief deacon. The church was convinced that he has the qualifications of a good pastor but they gave him the right to decide as God convicted his heart of this vocation. Finally, because of many tangible manifestations of God’s calling for him in the ministry, he accepted the position.
 

During his time, the first mission in Iba was started as were other missions, like the one in Angono, Rizal and another one in Roosevelt, Dinalupihan. It was also during that time when the dispute over the ownership of the lot beside the church took place. The church lost its claim. The deacons during this time were Bro. Amores, Bro. Pastollero, Bro. Famitangco and Bro. Salang.
 

However, on June 1966, Pastor Edillon presented his problems to the church concerning his inability to successfully perform the two tasks of being a pastor and a navy employee. He let the church decide to either support his financial needs or for him to give way to another pastor. The church decided to let him go. Pastor Rene Ganancial then became the pastor on July 3, 1966. He was a good pastor, exemplifying the character of a shepherd chosen by God to lead His flock. It was at this time that the parsonage was constructed. The deacons during his term were Bro. Amores, Bro. Sto. Domingo, Bro. Pabalinas, and Bro. Derby.
 

On August 1971, Pastor Palit-ang replaced Pastor Rene Ganancial who had moved to other vineyards of the Lord.
 

Then Pastor Bienvenido Abrera became the pastor after Pastor Palit-ang. He had helped before but only on a temporary capacity. Now he had come to stay. For two decades, this beloved pastor, with his gentle ways and meek spirit, led the OBBC and it became a beacon of light in the otherwise red light district of the city. The church under his leadership continued the thrust of establishing more missions. His testimony as the pastor of the church reflected his trust in God’s faithfulness in that though he was sick he continued to serve God. His example was an inspiration to the members of the OBBC. He also led the church in establishing the Sunbeam Christian Academy.
 

Nevertheless, after many years of sacrifice, God called the good pastor home in heaven leaving the church with no pastor, officially, that is. As was the case in some churches with similar situations, the problem caused confusion and division among its members. Besieged by grief over the loss of their beloved pastor, the members groped their way amidst confusion and strife. One man continued the work that needed to be done. This man later became the pastor of the church through a confidence vote on February 17, 1995. Many questions arisen from Pastor Edwin Alvarez’ qualifications to lead the church. But God will not be denied his plan. Through his leadership the church ventured to other ministries like the publication, the Church in the House Fellowship (CHF), and the Bread Enough to Spare Ministry. The church also started giving its firstfruits offering. It was also during his term that the church took on the new name Olongapo Sunbeam Bible Baptist Church, which coincided with his ordination on March 5, 2000. Also, two mission works were opened, the Iba Sunbeam Bible Baptist Mission and the Bo. Pita Sunbeam Bible Baptist Mission. Both works are growing and thriving by God’s grace. The church truly endeavored to continue the vision of standing for the truth of the word of God through the many ministries God has entrusted to the people of OSBBC.
 

For more than 42 years now, the torch of light shines in this Jonah’s mound and the sword of the truth of God is still wielding its power on the heart of the members of OSBBC. The church is honored and privileged that it has been instrumental in propagating the work of God in the Philippines. It is the fervent prayer of its members that the tradition of unselfish service of those pioneers who had started this work will be continued and that the church will be used in reaching out to the fruits ripe to be picked in this God’s appointed vineyard until He calls us home.

To God be the Glory.

Visit us at # 21 Gordon Avenue, New Asinan, Olongapo City, Philippines 2200 or call us at (047) 222 3351.

The Sunbeam Bible Bible Baptist Church will have it 42nd Anniversary on March 16, 2003 (Sunday) at the SBBC Church. It will be a whole day affair.

The schedule for this year's Lord's Supper was reset, wait for further announcement regarding its new schedule.

Congratulations to

Pastor Edwin Alvarez!

BBFPI Luzon Vice President

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This website is not yet fully functional. It is still at its first stages of development and this is the reason why most of the pages are not yet available. Sorry for the Inconvenience.

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Prayer is simply talking to a living God and it is the best Christian spiritual weapon. The simple ACTS of prayer is: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.  It should be directed to God the Father (Ephesians 3:14), in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:13) with the guide of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18).

Last updated on May 9, 2003

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Since 1961

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