Philippines

FILIPINO PASTOR MURDERED IN HIS CHURCH

Manila, Philippines – Pastor Severino Bagtasos III, 30, was murdered by a lone gunman during a Sunday service at his Mindanao church on January 23. Bagtasos was sitting in a front row pew listening to his sister conclude her message on heaven when he was approached from behind by the gunman, who fired two bullets. One bullet went through the pastor’s cheek, the other through his chest.

His stunned 60-member congregation thought at first that the gunshots were the sound of firecrackers, which were frequently thrown into the church by hecklers. Only after his body slumped to the ground did they realize what had happened.

Bagtasos had previously received several death threats, which were attributed to his ongoing evangelistic work among Muslims.

One of his church members testified before the more than 800 attendees at the funeral: "Junie (as he was fondly called by those who knew him well) was always patient. He never stopped challenging us to be faithful to the Lord. Rain or shine, Junie was there. He was instrumental in winning my husband to the Lord. I was a lukewarm Christian until Junie encouraged me in my walk with God."

Some witnesses claim that only a few hours before he was killed, Bagtasos was seen distributing tracts among the people in Barangay Alat, Jolo.

According to one church leader, an acknowledged authority on Islam, the simple act of Bagtasos passing out gospel tract could have triggered the shooting, since that day was the start of the world-wide Muslim observance of Ramadan. Some Muslim sects believe that if you kill an enemy of Allah on the first day of Ramadan, the act will assure you passage to paradise.

Only a few days before his death, Bagtasos had confided to a friend, "If I am killed, so be it. I am ready to die for Jesus. But if I have to be killed, I would prefer to die in the church, doing the Lord’s work".

‘Filipino pastor Murdered in His Church’, April 1996, 1996 Compass Direct, P.O. Box 27250, Santa Ana, CA 92799. USA

PHILIPPINES 1996