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Most Beloved Brother,
I am Brother Rogelio M. Rafols, 85 years old, serving as a Head Deacon for forty-eight (48) years. I am one of those first members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo here on the continent of Africa. I consider it an immeasurable blessing from our Lord God to have been part of this history and to have witnessed the spreading and phenomenal growth of the Church over the past decades.
In 1977, while I was still in the Philippines, I was given the opportunity to be sent to Africa as a medical doctor through the health support project under the United Nations. But since the Church had not yet been established in Africa at that time, I sought the guidance from the Church Administration.
I was blessed with the chance to personally meet Brother Eraño G. Manalo, who was then the Executive Minister, and he granted me the permission to take this journey. He also entrusted me with tapes so that my family could continue to hold worship services in the place where we were going.
When we arrived in the Kingdom of Lesotho, only my family and I were members of the Church. In time, however, as we transferred to South Africa through the Pasugo: God’s Message Magazine, many discovered that the Church Of Christ had already reached South Africa—since my home address was listed there. Other brethren came and we began holding our worship service.
At that time, I was the only one with a vehicle. With all my heart, I faced every difficulty and danger to help brethren get to the worship services. Not even the dangers of Apartheid could stop us from fulfilling our sacred duties to worship our Lord God.
From the very beginning of the Church here in Africa, we held firmly to the teachings of God taught to us by the Church Administration. We held devotional prayers that the day would come when we would have our own house of worship and a minister assigned to care for us.
The Lord God heard our prayers. The Church purchased a property and it was dedicated to the Lord God as the house of worship of the Local Congregation of King William’s Town in the year 2000. Soon after, the Church Administration sent ministers to be assigned here in Africa.
From then on, countless blessings were poured out by God upon our local congregation and even upon my own family. But the most cherished memory remains your visit to our local congregation when you personally officiated our special worship service in 2014. I was serving as the Head Deacon at that time. That occasion was a tremendous spiritual blessing for us—a clear manifestation that God is truly guiding you and guiding the brethren of the Church Of Christ here in Africa.
Since then, the Church has continued to grow even more in our part of the world. Through your love and care, you sent additional ministers to strengthen our spiritual life, and many more houses of worship have been built here across the continent of Africa.
Your love has also extended to those who are not members of the Church through helping those in need. Many people here have received their daily necessities, and many have also been given livelihood that completely changed their lives. Above all, many have found the true faith, received the right to worship the Lord God, and gained the true hope of salvation on the Day of Judgment.
Looking back on the past 48 years, I can testify with all my faith that God is truly with the Iglesia Ni Cristo—not only here in Africa but throughout the world—and that He is the One guiding you as our Executive Minister.
I am deeply thankful for your love and concern for us. I always pray to our Lord God that He may continue to grant you long life and the best of health so you may steadfastly lead the entire Church in faithful service to our Lord God until we all receive the promised salvation.
With deepest respect,
Brother Rogelio M. Rafols
