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CAMPS IN PHILIPPINES:
CAMPS IN TAIWAN:
A History of CFO in the Philippines
CFO in Philippines began with the visit of Dr. Glenn Clark and Rev. Roland Brown and his wife Marcia Brown in early 1954 when they were on their world tour to establish a belt of prayer encircling the globe. This is recorded in Dr. Clark’s book, On Wings of Prayer.
In 1962 Del and Bebe Anderson held the first full CFO Camp of the Philippines at the Boy Scout Jamboree Camp near Los Banos, just south of Manila. Ruth Robinson was the speaker the following year. In 1967, Dorothy Newburn persuaded them to move the camp to Union Theological Seminary at Das Marinas, where Frank Laubach was the speaker. In 1969, the Catholic Retreat Center at Angono was chosen as the site for CFO in 1970 and 1971. The speaker was Frank Rigg of New Zealand. Due to storms, there was no CFO camp held in 1972. Due to loss of leadership, the last official CFO camp held in Luzon was in 1973 at Dagupan. Bert and Dorothy Parsons of Australia were instrumental in the planning of that camp.
In 1975, Julie Ortega began sharing her desire and dream of a CFO Camp in Mindanao with Dorothy Langley who included Del Anderson in the praying and dreaming process. By February of 1977, Vivian Osbourne and Thelma Lee were in Buena Vista, Agusan, holding the first camp in Mindanao. The participants were so excited about the answers to prayer and the reconciling love they experienced, they immediately chose a Council Ring and began planning the next CFO Camp. Julie Ortega invited the Women’s Association of the United Church of Christ, Philippines officers for the 1978 camp with Ray Pitsker and together they decided each district of the church must eventually have a CFO Camp. Reg and Verla Goff held three CFO Camps in 1979 and Julie Ortega attended the CFOI Board meeting and Third International CFO Camp at Estes Park, Colorado, USA.
In 1980, Bob and Barbara Deal and Mary Virginia Parish convinced Pepito Jalapit, moderator of the UCCP Mindanao Conference, that CFO was God’s instrument for uniting Christians in Kingdom Living and not just another church or para-church organization, as he had supposed. He gave CFO the needed church approval and 9 – 13 CFO Camps have been held each year since 1980. Pepito and his wife Perla were among the delegates to the CFOI Board meeting at Stanwell Tops (May 1983) when Julie Ortega rotated off the board. A total of thirteen representatives attended from Philippines attended the Fourth International CFO Camp. Immediately following a trip to Australia, Hope Peale conducted a weekend training for Council Ring members at a camp near Dumaguete. Representatives from nine of the CFO Camps attended as well as several from places desiring to establish CFO Camps on the neighboring islands of Cebu, Leyte, and Negros.
Thanks to the prayers of J.A. Ortega, who sought help from CFO’ers in the Philippines and abroad as well as from local church leaders, the first CFO Camp in Mindanao was held in 1977 at Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, with 34 campers and leadership included Vivian Osbourne (CFO’s first Rhythms Leader), Thelma Lee, and Guillermo Bergado.
1978 began the full support of Camps Farthest Out International (CFOI) who, from their board, travelled to Philippines and shared themselves, their funds, and their prayers for CFO camps to be planted in Dagani Beach, Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte. 28 Camps were birthed in Luzon areas (6), Agusan, Surigao, Gingoog, Camiguin, CDO, Bukidnon, Iligan, Pagadian, Oroquieta, Zamboanga, Lanao, Marawi, Basilan (prayer group), Leyte, Libertad, Davao, Cebu-Liloam, Dumaguete, Ipil, Coal Country, Bohol, and U.P. Los Banos. Leaders from CFOI that visited in the beginning include Ray Pitsker, Bob and Barbara Deal, Mary Virginia Parish, Nellie and Dusty Rhodes, Sister Georgia Gamorra, Hope and Bob Peale, Barbara and Jim Thomas, and many more.
In 1982, J.A. Orteza rotated off as the CFO National Council Ring (NCR) Chair and new CFO leaders stepped into various roles. This was also the beginning of CFOI training and Filippino CFO’ers were sent abroad to CFO Camps in Australia, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, USA, and other places. These experiences helped local leadership grow. The latter half of these years saw the reduction of CFOI assistance as more local leaders became confident in the CFO Daily Program.
