Philippines Experiences Week of Outreach with Tommy Walker
The Philippines outreach, which ministered to over 10,000 people during the 7-day period, was the culmination of a yearlong project originated by the Far East Broadcasting Company and Tommy Walker.
After a week-long outreach effort in Filipino capitol city of Manila earlier last month, the Far East Broadcasting Company, worship leader Tommy Walker, and the C.A. Worship Band returned last week, bringing with them the news of victory. The Philippines outreach, which ministered to over 10,000 people during the 7-day period, was the culmination of a yearlong project originated by FEBC and Walker.
“The concerts were a huge success in spite of the steady downpour that marked the second night,” reported the California-based Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC).
“If anything, people felt like they were being anointed by God with the rains,” Dean Swartz, FEBC Director of Communications and Development pointed out. “By the time the pastors gave the call to come forward, the rain had anointed everyone…choir, band, and audience members.”
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“Over 500 people came forward and acknowledged Christ as their Savior during the 2 nights. I know one thing for sure,” Swartz added. “I’ll never look at rain the same way again.”
In addition the two outdoor concerts, Walker and the band ministered at several local churches and held a large worship conference. In conjunction with FEBC-Philippines and 15 Filipino churches, relief was offered to the underprivileged in the way of medical and dental services, food and radio distribution. FEBC reports that 1,000 people received food, clothes, medical/dental services, and radios donated by various local churches.
Since February, FEBC, along with Walker and the band, presented several concerts in the Southern California area to raise funds to make the Philippines outreach possible.
In their first concert performed at the First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena in February, Walker and the band drew 1,600 people. During the summer of 2004, another concert was held at Bethany Baptist Church in Long Beach. And in September, First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton hosted a Tommy Walker concert that drew 1,300 people, followed by a concert in October at Faith Community Church in West Covina.
“Not only were 4,200 people blessed by Tommy’s concerts in California, but over 10,000 impoverished Filipinos received aid and heard the Good News of Christ in a variety of venues throughout Manila,” FEBC reported.
According to FEBC, local Filipino churches have committed to discipling new believers since the outreach, and the radios they received “will continue to encourage them with advice ranging from parenting tips to health advice to job counseling, as well as biblical teaching.”
Since 1945, FEBC has broadcasted the gospel in more than 150 languages from 32 transmitters located throughout the world. Its programs reach areas in which two-thirds of the world's population live and receive in excess of 750,000 listener responses annually.
