Brief History of the Midtown church of Christ

The Midtown church had her humble beginning in 1983 when brother Felix A. Bravo and his family, members of the Baguio Church of Christ, 18 Rimando Road, started a new work in the heart of Baguio City.

This congregation, just like her sister congregations, upholds that they belong to the Lord’s church which was established in Jerusalem in at the beginning of the first century as recorded in Chapter Two of the Book of Acts of the Apostles of the New Testament Scriptures. Their faith or beliefs are solely anchored on the Holy Scriptures as they pursue and follow the doctrines and practices of the early church based on the New Testament. They speak only where the Bible speaks, and are silent in matters where the Bible is silent. They do not embrace any human creed or dogma but sticks to the Lord’s teachings only. This led to the preaching of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ that resulted in the formation of this congregation.

Meeting at the Conference Hall of YMCA along Upper Session Road, Midtown church of Christ started with but a handful of faithful Christians, namely, brethren Felix A, Bravo and family, Santiago B. Sameon and family, Simeon S. Reyes and family, Daniel A. Oliva and family, Paulino Abubo and some Philippine Bible College students.
After about a year of existence, the Midtown Church of Christ moved on the third floor of the Puso Ng Baguio Building, Session Road, when brother David Allen Stathopulo, a missionary from the Saturn Road Church of Christ, Mesquite, Texas, USA, came and started the Bible Study Center.

To be precise, the Midtown congregation began on October 16, 1983, with nine members and some PBC (Philippine Bible College) students. The congregation has grown to a membership of eighty and had an average attendance of hundred on Sunday assemblies. Later, in 1983 and 1984, thirty-four people were baptized; more than a hundred people have been converted in 1985. A strong evangelism and edification programs were pursued by the Midtown Church of Christ in the succeeding years and numerous conversions were effected resulting in her intensive and extensive growth.

Full – time church workers then helping in teaching students were Ruth L. Glori, Janice Reyes, Felix Bravo, Danny Oliva, David and Sandy Stathopulo, Dodoy Sameon, the late Simeon Reyes, Jr. and his wife Phoebe Sameon-Reyes. Later, two American missionaries came to help in the work at the Midtown Church of Christ, namely, spouses Eddie and Sherry Poblete and family and spouses Doug and Sandy Holcomb. Sisters Janice Reyes, Vickie Hombrebueno and Jeanette Fetalino served as secretaries of the Bible Study Center, an evangelistic tool of the congregation. The Midtown congregation has since then employed full-time evangelist and ministers, namely, brothers Arnan A. Bayla (1986 – present), Felix L. Olidan Jr. (1988 – 2008), and Andres E. Bestre (1994-present).

The Midtown Church of Christ was registered as a Non-stock, Non-profit Religious organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with Registration No. BN092-000390 on September 18, 1992.

As more members were added to the congregation, Midtown church moved to the top floor of Maharlika Livelihood Center. Later on to Baguio Patriotic High School gymnasium, then to the University of Baguio Little Theater (Dap-ayan), UB Education building, Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative Conference Hall, and at the Bible Study Center operated by brother Sotero B. Denis at the Third Floor, Dangwa Terminal Building. Having rented two suite units at the Puso Ng Baguio Building along Session Road, the congregation assembled there for a number of years. But owing to the high rate of rentals after the 1990 killer earthquake, Midtown church leaders decided to hold office and conduct its worship assemblies at the facilities of the Marlett’s Building located at Km. 4 Marcos Highway, Baguio City in October 1993. This is now its permanent location and physical address.

Presently, the Midtown Church of Christ has more than five hundred on its membership roll. It has expanded outreach ministries which includes the planting of the Word resulting to the formation of congregations in Cabanatuan City of Nueva Ecija, Barangays Poblacion, Penged, and Pito of Bokod, Benguet, and Barangay Nangalisan of Tuba, Benguet. Ω