Filipino Churches Unite to Form Mission-Sending Agency

Cris Estaras is a man on mission. And it’s that mission that prompted Cris and his wife, Marites, to leave the relative security and opportunities of Manila to take the Good News to the Bicol region. The first years were difficult and they faced many obstacles. But over time, God opened doors, people responded, and the first Charis Alliance Church was planted.

But Cris wasn’t satisfied with settling down to pastor a single church. His dream was to fill the region with congregations committed to Biblical Truth, Biblical Relationship, and Biblical Mission. So as his leaders emerged in his first church plant, he set his sights on planting a second church—and then a third!

Cris was one of two Filipino leaders chosen to represent his country as a delegate at the CHARIS2023FORUM in Kenya, 6–10 March 2024. That’s when his vision was stretched and challenged through teaching sessions that presented a New Testiment ‘Theology of Interdependency.’ Simply stated, the 60-plus attendees wrestled with the questions, “What does the Bible teach about the responsibility local churches have toward one another?” And “How is God calling us to cooperate in planting churches, training leaders, and blessing communities?”

That’s when God birthed a bigger vision in Cris—to challenge key leaders from his three churches to form their own mission sending committee with the goal of planting a church in each of the many provinces of the Bicol region. This would require prayer, financial sacrifice, and the training and releasing of young workers. 

By December 2023, fifteen men and women were ready to accept this challenge of forming part of the new Missions Committee. What’s more, the three churches are giving—sacrificially—as they prepare to send out their first missionary church planters. Cris observes, “In the near future we will be able to send at least one missionary to start reaching the other 4 provinces here. But for now, we are focusing on giving and praying.”

But the story doesn’t end here. Cris and Marites are sensing God wants them to lead the way. Lord willing, it won’t be long until they once again leave a place of relative security and opportunities and become church planters once again!