To kickstart the year with strategic evangelism goals, the church leaders of the East Visayan Conference and the Samar Mission joined together for a collaborative gathering to orient on and launch Mission Reach 26, a massive Southern Asia-Pacific Division (SSD) initiative, designed to mobilize every church member for the Gospel commission.
More than a thousand delegates from across the six provinces of Region VIII converged at the Hope Faith Love (HFL) Resort in Libtong, San Miguel, Leyte, on Jan. 18, 2026, the first bi-institution gathering of NDR/IEL leaders and coordinators since the East Visayan Conference (EVC) bifurcated in 2019 to establish the Samar Mission (SM). Eight hundred seventy-five (875) hailed from EVC, while 130 represented the Samar Mission.
Mission Reach 2026, as detailed in an SSD article on November 29, 2025, is the first phase of Mission REAPS, a five-year strategic plan by the Southern Asia-Pacific Division. With the theme “Grounded in the Bible, Focused on the Mission,” this initiative implements the global Seventh-day Adventist Church’s “I Will Go” strategy in the region. Its goal is to encourage every church member in 11 countries to make mission work a daily practice of service and faith.
Pastor Arnel Gabin, vice president of Nurturing, Discipleship, Retention, and Integrated Evangelism Lifestyle (IEL/NDR) for the SSD, provided the theological and practical roadmap for the 2026 evangelism cycle. Alongside him were Pastor Eliezer “Joer” Barlizo Jr., president of the East Central Philippine Union Conference (ECPUC), and other directors from ECPUC, EVC, and Samar Mission.
Pastor Barlizo, who is highly passionate about the advancement of the mission, shared, “According to Ellen White, one soul is of more value to heaven than your world of property, houses, land, and money. There is a grand celebration in heaven when one person accepts Jesus as his or her personal Savior.”
Although attendance was high, the greater impact came from the commitment of 138 church elders and 12 other officers, who pledged to hold their own evangelistic meetings throughout 2026.
A key highlight was the baptism of seven individuals who publicly accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Among them was a former Jesus Is Lord Born-again Christian pastor, whom delegates saw as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work during the launch.
“Beyond the numbers, the most amazing part was the transformation of these precious souls,” a delegate said. “All glory belongs to God for hearts committed to His mission,” Pastor Emmanuel Paul Barcenas, EVC Sabbath School/Personal Ministries director and Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI) coordinator, shared in his social media account.
As Mission Reach 26 kicks off, the leaders of EVC and Samar Mission are confident that this unified start will lead to an unprecedented year of growth and service across Eastern Visayas and Samar provinces.
Pastor Godofredo Romanillos Jr., ECPUC communication director and ASI/Ad Pro director, expressed appreciation for the event’s turnout and acknowledged the leadership and passion for the mission of Pastor Samuel Salloman, EVC president.
“Praise God for the strategic collaboration, support, and cooperation spearheaded by Pastor Salloman to gather this widely attended event. This success wouldn’t have been made possible without the hearts of the leaders that God can work with,” he said, reechoing the sense of gratitude expressed by Pastor Barlizo and the entire ECPUC administration.
Godofredo Romanillos, Jr./East Central Philippine Union Conference.