St. Mary's School Alumni Association

The Sagada Postboy
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Mia Antero Apolinar Abeya

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MY IMPRESSION OF THE WORK OF THE ASSEMBLY OF GOD'S CHURCH IN SAGADA
By Rufino Bumasang
SMS Class '58
Published in the Sagada Postboy- February 18, 1958

The Assembly of God's Mission in Sagada has really done a great deal to the people of Sagada. This was mainly due to its method of preaching the Gospel and its healing many people.

With regards to the preaching of the Gospel, the members of the Assembly of God's church did it in a very simple way so that the people were able to understand. They preached in English and Ilocano.

They did not use hard English or Ilocano words. Because most of this simple method of preaching, most of the people of Sagada especially the Pagans, came to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time. These Pagans might have gone to the Anglican Church but they did not understand the service simply because the services have always been in English, which most Pagans do not understand. I therefore ay that the Assembly of God's Church had helped our own Church in the conversion of many Pagans to the Christian faith.

The Assembly of God's Church did not attack the Catholic Church, contrary to what most religious sects often do. They neither converted people to the Assembly of God's Church nor stopped people from going to the Catholic Church. They just preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They did not say that the work of the Anglican Church in Sagada is wrong. Instead, they prayed for the Church, the school and the hospital.

The other thing that the Assembly of God's Church did was the healing of many people. I believe that Mr. Harold Herman, the Evangelist of the Assembly of God's Church was really sent by God to heal. This does not mean, however, that what the Anglican Church and the hospital have been doing for many years is wrong. According to Mr. Herman, a man can be healed by faith in Jesus Christ, by prayer and by laying of hands.

This is also what they Catholic Church teaches. God heals through his ministers on earth and through the doctors and nurses. The only main difference between the Catholic priest and Mr. Herman with regards to healing is the fact that the Catholic priest is ordained while Mr. Herman is not. However, God is working not only through the Catholic Church but also through other people. In conclusion, I say that the healing of many people by Mr. Herman during his six days stay in Sagada is simply the same as the healing of people by the priest through the Sacrament of Holy Unction and the healing of many people by the doctors and nurses in the hospital. All of these are the works of God.