User:PeaceBuilder

In the Philippines, Decade ‘70 refers to the violent years when political activists and justice advocates disappeared under the U.S.-backed martial rule of Ferdinand E. Marcos. In my desperate search for an alternative to the injustices and violence of crony capitalism, I embraced the ideology of Mao Zedong as the way to free Asian peasants from oppression.

I was convinced that only through the barrel of the gun could the chain of oppression be broken. I joined the revolutionary Patriotic Youth and soon became a leader among Filipino student activists.

Then Mao died. His successor embraced state capitalism in China and stopped supporting nationalist revolutions in Asia. My dream to advance the peasant revolution in the Philippines died with Mao.

Disillusioned, I approached my father who was dying in a hospital and cried. My father, a Baptist pastor, encouraged me to look for a biblical basis for social change and God began to open my eyes. I reaffirmed my love for God—a decision I had made when I was nine years old.

God brought a beautiful woman into my life, Joji Bautista, who loved God and was passionate to serve among the poor. Joji’s life exemplified the peace of God and she challenged me to look for nonviolent means to deal with injustice and poverty.

I began to read the works of Christian thinkers such as Jose Miguez Bonino, Kosuke Koyama, Leonardo Mercado, and Gustavo Gutierrez to learn about God’s desire for justice and liberation. While doing graduate studies at the University of the Philippines, I still insisted that following Jesus in a revolutionary context may include armed struggle. I rejoined student activists in advancing a Filipino revolution.

After graduation, Joji and I worked in community development. We advocated for justice among the poor in the slums of Manila where our home was razed by fire along with hundreds of impoverished homes. We led a team working among prostitutes near the biggest U.S. military base in the Pacific.

As communities developed, they grew into basic biblical communities—sharing life together, confronting unjust power structures, developing economic cooperatives, worshipping together. We became aware that we were, in fact, planting churches.

In 1986, we participated in a peaceful People’s Power Revolution that brought down the Marcos regime. God was showing me that nonviolence can overcome an unjust, violent regime.

A few weeks later, we moved to Winnipeg to lead a church planting team with the Baptist General Conference of Canada. Through friends I was exposed to Mennonites in Steinbach, and their peace theology made an impact on my life and ministry. I began to question seriously my theology of armed struggle.

For 17 years, we have focused our energies in raising our three children, planting churches, and overseeing global ministries. We have the opportunity to share blessings most Canadians take for granted—living in a relatively peaceful and orderly society.

On September 11, 2001, I renounced violence as a means to achieve justice. While the majority of my friends and fellow Christian workers adopted the popular theology of war, I began to open my heart to God to be a voice and an agent of peace.

Project Ploughshares lists the Philippines as one of the most violent places in the world, along with Iraq and Sudan. Last spring, Joji encouraged me to visit the southwestern region of the Philippines where Muslims and Christians have been in armed conflict for many decades. While living among displaced Muslim families I e-mailed Joji: “I sense that God is calling us to be peace workers here in Mindanao, Philippines.”

Her response: “I’ve been reflecting about the next segment of our adventure of service.” Our house church blessed us, released us from our current responsibilities and made a commitment to support us.

Joji and I felt we needed to be mentored by a community involved in peace-making, so we started going to the Peace Mennonite Church in Richmond, B.C. last September. We shared our vision, and the people there embraced us, and encouraged us.

On December 19, the congregation accepted us as members and commissioned us as an extension of their ministry of peacemaking in the Philippines. This community has embraced us with their love and wisdom as we plunge into this new adventure in advancing the kingdom of God. —Dann Pantoja