PHOENIX, AZ
September 19, 2017 | Andrew Hurst
Reverend Rey Calusay, General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God in the Philippines, recently spoke to students at Southwestern Assemblies of God University American Indian College (SAGU AIC) over missions and the importance of church planting.
On Tuesday, September 12, Calusay visited the SAGU AIC campus to encourage students to do great things for God as they carry the Gospel around the world.
“There are no ‘closed’ areas in God’s view of the world,” declared Rev. Calusay. “Jesus said to ‘….go unto all the world’ and that means that the entire world is open to the Holy Spirit.”
With over 1000 churches planted within the country in the past two decades, the Philippine church is well known for its effectiveness in church planting.
Superintendent Calusay encourages young pastors to “go into the hard places” because that’s where people are responsive to the Gospel.
“I look for these qualities in church planters” said Calusay. “Adventurous, Abiding (in Christ and his Gospel), Adjustable (flexible) and Astute (wise).
Calusay became the General Superintendent in 2006 after serving as Assistant General Superintendent and Director of Home Missions. Along with his role as General Superintendent, Rev. Calusay challenges his own church, First Assembly in Roxas City, Capiz , to continue ministering to and planting churches in target areas throughout the Philippines.
Under his leadership as General Superintendent and as pastor of his home church, the Assemblies of God in the Philippines is experiencing strong growth as it continues to focus on evangelism and church planting.
Calusay came to the SAGU AIC campus at the invitation of Dr. Barry Shennum, AIC’s Business program director. While Reverend Calusay was a young minister in Bible school, Dr. Shennum’s parents felt led to pay his school bill so he could remain in school. The dividends from that investment has blessed the Philippines and the Kingdom beyond measure.
Today the General Council of the Philippines is made up of 3,000 churches and over 4000 licensed ministers.
Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) American Indian College (AIC) is the nation’s only private Christian college serving primarily Native American students. Established in 1957, AIC now serves nearly 25 tribes as well as other ethnicities.
