Pastor Elizabeth Pescadero is a 2018 graduate of CHC’s School of Theology. Coming to SOT seeking God for her next steps, she caught a vision to plant churches in the mountain villages in her region. From one church in 2018, Ps Elizabeth and her team have since planted around 50 churches.
Last September, Senior Pastor Kong Hee shared with City Harvest Church
a series of mission “report cards”, beginning with the Philippines, where God has brought a great harvest to CHC’s church-planting efforts.
He told the church about CHC Carapali, who had received a few pigs from Pastor Elizabeth Pescadero a few years ago, so that the people could learn how to raise and sell pigs, and earn money. Today, CHC Carapali is self-sustaining and supports other CHC churches around the area.
Doing outreach to the UPGs: Ps Elizabeth (seated, left) regularly leads Pastor Kong Hee’s team to various village churches that she and her team have planted.
Pastor Elizabeth leads CHC Villamonte, which is located in the heart of Bacolod. This is where Pastor Elizabeth and her team are based, in a three-storey building that holds a main sanctuary, a children’s service hall, a church office, room for missionaries and a kitchen. Ps Elizabeth also hopes to set up a Bible school to train up more leaders and pastors.
Pastor Kong explained: “For every church that we start, the goal is for them to be self-
supportive within seven years.” Ps Elizabeth’s ministry exemplifies this model.
Pastor Kong Hee and his team when they visited Ps Elizabeth’s church.
Ps Elizabeth at the gathering of leaders of City Harvest churches in the Philippines. Photo: City Harvest Church
The church heard stories of how Ps Elizabeth and her team would bring Ps Kong and the CHC mission teams up treacherous terrain filled with wildlife to reach out to mountain tribes—unreached people groups (UPGs) that have never heard of Jesus. These missions can be exceedingly dangerous. In fact, a week before this interview, Ps Elizabeth had just been hospitalised following a visit to a tribe—her heart stopped after ingesting food given by the tribal leaders. But she considered it a minor inconvenience.
The church in Bacolod.
Ps Elizabeth graduated from City Harvest School of Theology (SOT) in 2018. Since graduating from SOT, her ministry in the Philippines has grown from one to 47 churches, totalling 8,000 members. In this interview, Ps Elizabeth tells us her story and shares how God is moving in the Philippines, in particular among the UPGs.
CITY NEWS: Please share with us your salvation story. How did you first meet Jesus?
PASTOR ELIZABETH: I am not a first-generation Christian. I grew up in a Christian
family and my mother was attending Alliance Church in Mindanao. My parents used
to bring us to church every Sunday. My first encounter with Jesus was when I
attended the “Daily Bible Vacation School.” The gospel team shared about Jesus,
and that day I received Him as my Lord and personal Saviour. Eventually, God
showed me a vision about many children, and the need for them to hear about
Jesus. Even at an early age, I already had this fervent desire to reach out to children.
I knew that I was called for this, and I needed to obey.
How were you called to be a church planter? What ministry were you in before you started planting churches? What was the first church you planted?
The first church I planted was His Dwelling Church in Rizal, Bacolod. I started my ministry by feeding the children of drug addict parents in slum areas. I did it because of my love for God and His people.
Ps Elizabeth reaches out to people in the mountains, sharing with them the love of Christ through stories.
I have compassion for those who are broken, isolated and abandoned. There were many street kids in the Philippines who were hungry and striving to live daily on their own. Drug syndicates exploited them to deliver and sell drugs. Despite the difficulties, I experienced joy through the feeding ministry and saw an opportunity to speed up the work for the Kingdom’s purpose. The ministry enabled me and my team to reach out to the parents and win more souls for Jesus. I was able to plant more churches in different communities.
What were your early experiences and challenges in church planting?
Firstly, my big challenge in doing church planting was being a woman. Back then, female pastors were discriminated against, and not recognised as leaders. Another challenge was the lack of resources to plant churches. It was hard to do ministry without any funds.
My first church in Rizal, Bacolod was within a squatter area. It was also known as the “drug den area,” a very chaotic place. There’s shouting, running, killings and selling drugs. You witness police chases all the time. In order to sustain the ministry, I spent most of my time in prayer. It involved a lot of sacrifices. One pastor told me that I was wasting my time on these people, that they would not change. But I had a strong conviction to pursue it. I believed that I must obey the God who called me, the One who showed me clear visions. I was not bothered by other people’s opinions, nor my family’s objections. Despite having no resources, I chose to respond to the call of God upon my life.
How many years have you been doing ministry?
I have been doing ministry for 18 years. During the early days, I started doing outreach for children of the prisoners or offenders. Out of my own pocket, I did a weekly feeding programme for them. Every Saturday, I brought Arroz Caldo (congee) soup and bread. I taught them Christian songs, how to memorise Bible verses and shared Bible stories to these children.
Ps Elizabeth has planted nearly 50 churches in her region since she graduated from SOT in 2018.
I also did a street feeding ministry, where I reached out to street children and fed them. Some of these kids were from the Badjao tribe. Every time I visited them, I would hear them calling out to the rest and shouting, “Ma’am Beth is here!”
We hear that these visits to UPGs can be very dangerous. Tell us about that.
When we visit new tribes, it is always the same group of us that goes, because they will have heard from other tribes who to expect. I always have one male team member with us, he is ex-military and they can tell that he is ex-military. Before we can go to a village, we must meet with the village chief. They will meet us privately and sometimes they will offer us food. Try not to eat the food—maybe it’s poisoned. But sometimes, you will upset them if you don’t eat, then you pray and you eat. Not every village chief will welcome you. If not, just leave. If they welcome you, then you can go back and do outreach.
The journeys to mountain villages often include trekking through forests and muddy hills.
You’ve faced great difficulty in your ministry, given a lack of resources. What has kept you going? Did the Lord give you an anchor Scripture to encourage you?
What keeps me going in my ministry, despite great difficulties, is knowing that the Lord Jesus called me, and honouring the covenant I made to Him. I have committed to obey and serve Him. Honestly, I do not have a mentor to guide me during those times. That is why I decided to attend SOT, because I wanted to be mentored.
I held on with these two verses as my “telephone number” to the Lord: Jeremiah 33:3 which says “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great
and mighty things, which thou knowest not” and Matthew 28:19-20 which says “Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
Donations of clothes and toys bring joy and comfort to the city church members.
Why was attending SOT important to you?
It is all God’s timing that allowed me to go for SOT, so I can be more equipped in doing His ministry. It also helped me to upgrade my spiritual life and the visions God has given me. My desire to learn more led me to apply for SOT. I did it even without a guarantee that I would be accepted.
How did going to SOT transform your ministry? What happened during SOT that you regained your fire for your ministry?
During my SOT days, the teachings and the Presence of God deeply impacted me. The Holy Spirit revived me, and I became more on fire for God.
The cell group taught me many things in the ministry. I only learnt about the CG
system when I was in SOT.
Ps Elizabeth (front row, 4th from right) with her SOT team in 2018.
Also, the deliverance session with Pastor Mike Connell was an unforgettable moment for me. That was my first time witnessing the students manifesting and I was so scared. That day, I told Ps Kenneth Sim that I did not want to attend the class the next day. He told me that I must experience the deliverance sessions to learn more about it. He explained to me why some students are manifesting. The following day was another powerful session, but I was no longer afraid. I appreciate the move of the Holy Spirit to deliver people. In fact, I immediately called my key leaders in the church and shared everything I had learned in deliverance class.
Thank you for being a trailblazer in reaching out to UPGs in the Philippines! It is because of your consistent outreach that CHC is now able to partner with you and
bring the love of Jesus to the mountain people. Can you explain the love and burden you have for these people? What goes through your mind as you travel for hours to
dangerous places to bring the gospel to these people? How do you stir up your faith?
I am so hurt to see people suffering. I feel for those who are abandoned. Most importantly, I am burdened to see them dying in poverty without knowing Jesus. Yes, it has been risky and dangerous. I don’t even know if I could go home alive every time I go up to the mountain. Most of the tribal churches are located in the mountains, with the need to cross rivers and pass hills. It can be very tiring physically and it requires more funds. I never go to the tribe without anything to offer. I always bring food for them. I would be very happy if I can at least teach the children to brush their teeth, take a bath and eat properly, so that they will not die of. sickness before their time.
Ps Elizabeth baptising a tribal member.
I am grateful for all the toys, clothes, and foods that CHC has been sending to us.
The joy of seeing the children eating together, praying, and worshipping God is
marvellous. I recalled that I gave a school uniform to a little girl—that school uniform
came from the box you (CHC) sent me. I was so touched because for the six
consecutive months that I visited, she will intentionally wear it. It broke my heart and
took away all my tiredness. They are all growing now in their faith and walk with
Christ, and that is my fulfilment.
There are so many new churches planted now in the Philippines—what is your strategy for discipling these new churches and helping them to grow?
Fellowshipping is number one. We talk, we laugh, we eat together. I hug them and let them feel the power of touch with continuous encouragement and discipling them the way I learnt in CHC. I try to communicate with them using their own dialects (there are over 400 dialects in the Philippines!).
I take time to listen to their concerns and sentiments, and assist them in their daily
financial needs. We give them money, rice, and local sardines. I have to become one
of them by learning their culture, beliefs and understanding why they behave in such
a manner. I show them respect in their beliefs and ways of living. I share the gospel,
while at the same time respecting their worldviews. Many do not believe in doctors or
medicine. I do not go against their beliefs, but rather I study their worldview and
beliefs to earn their heart and trust.
The CHC mission team led by Ps Kong Hee and Ps Elizabeth visit a mountain village int he Philippines.
There are also many who write in and request for the church’s support, or referrals
that come from the tribal chieftains that I know. I constantly seek direction from the
Holy Spirit before agreeing to meet anyone.
If you had not chosen this path, what do you think you would be doing today?
I thank God that I obeyed the call. With my strong personality, if I did not become a pastor, I can see myself serving as a soldier in military forces or as a politician in the government.
Even before attending the Global Pentecostal Summit last year, I was torn between
going to file my candidacy for a political post, but I chose to come to Singapore for
the summit. I prayed and asked God for wisdom and direction. I asked God if He
wants me to go for politics, but His revelation to me was to “make disciples.” I
believed that I could win the election, but I rejected it. I prefer to serve God and His
people as a pastor and church planter.
We love you and we want to keep supporting you! Please tell us how to pray for you and all the people your ministry reaches.
Thank you CHC for all the support! Yes, I have this one prayer request. Please accept more SOT students from my main church in Rizal and from other outreach churches. Who I am today is because of SOT and the CG training you have taught me. If it could happen to me, it could happen to my workers and members too. We are committed to plant more churches in tribes, barangays, towns, and cities. So, I need more people to be equipped, and help to carry the same vision through all the learnings I received from SOT. I desire for them to adapt, the strong DNA of CHC to win the lost for Jesus at all costs.
Ps Elizabeth’s tight-knit team.
The vision is to plant up to 20 more churches in 2026, including 10 in Palawan.
Eventually, we hope to have 100 churches by 2028. I believe prayer, the Holy Spirit
and generosity will bring impact to what God is doing in the Philippines.
School of Theology (Diploma of Ministry) 2026 starts 23 March 2026! SOT is a life-changing experience for every believer—Pastor Elizabeth is one excellent example among hundreds! For six months, you will be immersed in the pursuit of the knowledge of God, soaking in His presence and diving into His Word. Click here to enrol today!
Photos courtesy of Pastor Mayalle of CHC Villamonte, except where otherwise indicated.
