by May Fronda Casiano Casada (Philippines)

I am May Fronda Casiano Casada, married to Joevert Abayan Casada. I’m the youngest among five children and the only daughter of the late Mr Wilfredo “Willy’ Tanueco Casiano and Mrs Mary “Maria” Ramos Fronda. I belong to the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP), also known as the Anglican Church. My original Canonical Diocesan residence was the Episcopal Diocese of the Southern Philippines, located in Mindanao. I was the first woman ordained to the sacred order of priesthood in the South on July 12, 2009. When I transferred canonical residence to the Diocese of Davao, my ordination was also recognised as the first woman priest in 2012. At present, I am assigned to a Mission Area.

I have two goals in participating in this AGT training. The first is to understand how STM teaches the future ministers of the church in a country where Islam is the main religion. This is important to me since I am assigned to new areas where Islam is the main religion in the region. Second, AGT training will help me deepen my journey in the ministry through learning from other participants who are also ministers and who live in different parts of the world and who have different backgrounds, views, experiences, struggles, and challenges in the ministry. The lessons I wish to learn from this training are the ways to develop the desire and encourage young people to read the Bible, come to church, participate in church activities, and develop in them the enthusiasm and the keen determination to take part in the mission of Jesus Christ. To reenergize and strengthen me once again with the passion to open mission churches in new areas and also to show me new ways to elevate a church mission into a full-fledged parish. Being in AGT for almost three weeks made me more compassionate with others who have different faiths, respected their cultures, and found ways to share the good news using different approaches. In doing so, the importance of understanding God in the context of culture and how He revealed His plans through the Bible (Genesis to Revelation) enlightened and inspired me once again in realising and acknowledging that everything is according to God’s plans and that Christians must intentionally focus more on sharing the good news with all rather than proselytising and/or practising exclusivity, which hinders the growth of the church.

Furthermore, this training gave me a new way to understand the ECP Vision as stated “Celebrating Scripture Rooted, Spirit Fired and Discipled Parishes” and this is through living and working with the Five Marks of Mission and seeing them as God’s command. The ECP’s five marks of mission are to preach the gospel, or salvation through Jesus Christ, regardless of their culture, language, or nation. This should be the mission of all. Second, to baptise and teach new believers, use the example of Jesus Christ when he called His disciples, His baptism with John, and His commission to all his believers. The third is to respond to human needs by loving service, which is a holistic approach to doing social action and the importance of sharing the Gospel and living it. Fourth, seek to transform unjust structures of society and challenge violence. That is to allow the church to voice out and take action on the injustices that are happening in our nation as part of responding to the welfare of its members. And fifth, to safeguard the integrity of creation as God commands us from the very beginning. This is indeed a blessing for me and worth sharing with others so that they too will receive blessings and be a blessing to others.

Thank you.

The Rev. May C. Casada

Philippines