A new church is needed for a growing congregation
We have new adopted workers under this organization (Sam & Lilian Subla please read their conversion story), former ministers of a Baptist Church and a Methodist Church before their conversion to Adventism.
We have placed this couple as workers under Adopt a Minister through the recommendation of the mission. The Sublas are very excited to share the Adventist truth. They started a new Adventist congregation that started worshiping together a few months ago and they have been meeting in their yard. They badly need a church building where they can worship our Lord.
There around 100 of them now (62 are adults), and these workers have asked if we could raise fund for a church building. They are praying for God to send funds soon, and I know that He will.
They also have a Jail Ministry and many inmates are accepting Jesus through baptism. Sam and Lilian are very excited about their newly-found truth; they cannot stop sharing (it) to their friends and neighbors, and being ministers of the Baptist and Methodist before, people are listening and also wanting to know what they are so excited about.
Please help them so they can have a House of Worship soon.
Two Ministers, two different Denominations ?
a Husband and Wife - Find the Adventist Truth
Sam Subla's Story
I am Sam Saril Subla, born at Suay, Himamaylan, the eldest son of Pastor and Mrs. Reginaldo P. Subla. I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Theology at Lumban Mennonite seminary. I served as a pastor with my wife at the Free Methodist Church in Cagayan de Oro city as pioneer pastors from 1984 to 1996.
We came home to Negros after a long illness, and then served for 2 years with the Fundamental Baptist Church. Then from 1999 to 2004, we served as pastors in an Evangelical church in Bacolod City.
While pastoring an evangelical church under the Baptist Convention, I was invited by a friend to go to a doctrinal study conducted by one of your adopted Theology students. I agreed to go and study but I did not tell my wife, who was then pastoring another Evangelical Church in another part of the city.
I usually take home some reading materials, magazines and books too. Most of the time, my wife would finished reading them before I do.
When April 2004 came, my contract with the church was not renewed, so we all transferred to the church where Lilian was serving. I went to look for a new church to minister to, but it seems that all doors for a new assignment were all closed. Looking back now, when my co-pastors would ask why I am with the Adventist, part of my answer was, ?I waited and waited for an assignment but there was never one."
I was desperate for a job. I was also having asthma attacks probably because I was worrying a lot. Then I met at the Bacolod Sanitarium, Sally Fortaleza (an Adventist) and in the course of our conversation, we found out that my mother is her first cousin, so I was her nephew. She invited me to have a Bible study with her husband, Pastor Trinidad Fortaleza. I told them I have had a doctrinal study with an SDA theology student but I did not get to finish it.
This time, we had a deep and thorough Bible study. It was the Sabbath keeping that worried me. All those years I had been a 
servant, preaching His Word, at the same time I was like a disobedient child, deliberately breaking His command to keep the Sabbath.
My wife and children were shocked when finally in October of 2004, I invited them to witness my baptism at Bacolod Adventist Center (BAC). They never thought I was seriously studying the Adventist beliefs and doctrines. They were aware I was studying it with the Fortalezas because they thought it was only in compliance to a requirement; I was applying for a job at the sanitarium.
When I became an Adventist, part of me was not happy. My wife and children were still Sunday keepers. We had agreed that I will never force them to be Adventists. When Friday evening came, when I asked who would go with me to church the next day, everyone inÿour dining table would be quite with downcast eyes. I couldn't show frustrations because I promised not to force them to come with me to BAC. Then on Sunday morning, it would be my wife's turn to be frustrated because I would also refuse to go to church to play the guitar during their service. This went on for two years, but I never stopped praying that God would touch my family's hearts in His own time, and He did!!!! Sam Subla
Lilian's Story
When my children and I went to witness Sam's baptism in October of 2004, I was deeply hurt and felt betrayed. How on earth could he change this fast? I was there with my children, facing the congregation, but I was defiant inside. But when the service 
began, my son Kleir looked at me and smiled and gave me a thumbs up. Yes the beautiful singing got to my heart and I listened attentively to the sermon. I was blessed by the message; I forgot where I was. When the service was over, I vowed I will never ever be an Adventist. Everyone around us was happy, very generous, and very hospitable. They should be. They had a good catch that day!
The Fortalezas went to the States. Pastor Balida got curious to met Sam and family. Pastor Balida had experience with converted ministers of the Pentecostal Church and Baptist, too. He came over and visited us at our parsonage. He invited me to study like Sam did.ÿ I agreed to have the Bible study atÿhis office at the conference. But I told him many times that I only came to study but I will never ever be an Adventist.
He would always answer me with a big smile, "Sure, sure, don't worry."
By December 2005, I resigned from my pastoral work. I felt I am no longer in harmony with what my church stands for.
I was speechless when Pastor Balida showed me a picture of the wall where the Ten Commandments were written, but on the fourth wall, there were many people with hammers breaking the wall. I feel I was one of them, who in spite of long years of serving as a minister of the gospel, I was deliberately and willfully breaking the 4th commandment.
By Feb 2006, my eldest son Kleir and I were baptized right where Sam was baptized in 2004.
Life as an Adventist is not easy. It is not a bed of roses, after all, the bigger the roses, the bigger the thorns too. I would attribute my conversion and growth to 3 important things:
1. The literatures and published books which paved the way to my study of the Scripture and Mrs. E. White's books.
2. The fervent prayers of the brethren
3. The genuine concern and generous support of Pastor and Mrs. Balida and others too.
I will forever be grateful to all Adventists who played a part in my conversion and growth.
Today, Sam and I are sharing God's good news even more. Lilian Subla
