By Lauren Sedemeester
10/07/2025
The Philippines is an archipelago in Southeast Asia, comprising over 7,000 islands and islets located off the coast of Vietnam. It is known for its natural beauty, diverse landscapes, vibrant culture, historical landmarks, and warm hospitality. Uniquely, it is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia, with 89% of the population identifying as Christian, 6.6% as Muslim, and 3.2% following ethnic religions. It ranks 5th globally in terms of Christian population. Christianity is not only the country’s main religion—it is a cultural foundation and central to its national identity, with significant potential to fuel a powerful missions movement.
Christianity’s Impact on the Nation
Christianity in the Philippines has a long and complex history shaped by colonial rule and cultural transformation. During nearly 300 years of Spanish rule, Catholicism became deeply rooted in Filipino society, influencing governance, education, and religious practices.
After the Spanish-American War in 1898, the Philippines became a territory of the United States until 1946. During this period, the American government introduced a secular public education system, the English language, and Protestant denominations such as Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. As a result, American evangelicalism still influences the Filipino church today. This can be seen as many churches use English Bibles, sing Hillsong worship songs, and partner with US-based Christian organisations working in both city slums and rural areas. Filipino evangelicals often look to American Christians to help shape their understanding of God.
Even today, Christianity continues to shape many aspects of Filipino life—including festivals, politics, and daily routines. One notable example is the annual Black Nazarene procession in Manila, which draws millions of participants and reflects the nation’s deep-rooted faith. Over time, a strong evangelical presence has emerged, much of it driven by spiritual revival and a growing commitment to the Great Commission.
In 1974, leaders from the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches launched the Discipling A Whole Nation (DAWN) 2000 initiative, aiming to plant an evangelical church in every village by 2000. In 2001, they had reached this goal. Today, the evangelical movement continues to grow, inspiring fresh focus on both local and global missions.
Missions Movements and Mobilisation
The Philippine Missions Association (PMA) was founded in 1983 and became the official missions arm of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches since 1993. It now includes over 100 mission agencies and church commissions, working towards evangelism, church planting, and training. PMA plays a key role in equipping the Filipinos living abroad to serve as tentmakers and cross-cultural witnesses in their workplaces.
Other ministries have also helped strengthen the missions movement. Campus Crusade laid the foundation through early leadership training and global development programmes. Every Nation built on this offering institution-based training focused on campus ministry, church planting, and missions mobilisation. These efforts have created a strong pipeline of Filipino missionaries ready to serve locally and internationally.
By 2021, an estimated 10 million Filipinos were living abroad, including one million in the Middle East. This diaspora presents unique opportunities for missions through tentmaking—using secular jobs as platforms for gospel witness. In response, various ministries now focus on training overseas workers to share their faith across cultures.
From Mission Field to Mission Force
Although the Philippines was once primarily a mission field, the early 1990s marked a turning point. Since then, it has emerged as a dynamic contributor to global missions. The Philippines ranks 4th among missionary-sending nations—after the United States, Brazil, and South Korea—with approximately 25,000 missionaries. Bishop Efraim Tendero has noted that Filipinos are effective in missions due to their “acceptability, accessibility, and adaptability.”
Training programs such as the Kairos Course have played a crucial role in equipping Filipino believers for cross-cultural ministry. These initiatives emphasise cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and biblical understanding of missions—preparing Filipinos to engage effectively with diverse peoples and contexts.
Reaching Foreigners at Home
The Philippines is not only sending missionaries abroad—it is also a fertile mission field at home. Christianity is being shared with foreign migrants, international students, tourists, and other non-Filipino residents.
Organisations such as Serving in Mission Philippines (SIM) work alongside local churches to reach out to various people groups—including Muslim communities and migrants—through culturally appropriate and holistic approaches like storytelling, relationship-building, and community development initiatives.
In cities like Manila and Cebu, campus ministries serve international students with discipleship programmes, English classes, and small groups. These ministries provide contextual and relational engagements, particularly in university hubs.
Meanwhile, organisations such as International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Philippines have worked alongside churches to provide holistic care—spiritual, emotional, and practical—for foreign migrants and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) through resources centres and counselling services.
Through collaborative efforts, the Filipino Church continues to live out the Great Commission by welcoming and witnessing to the nations within its own borders.
Impact and Contribution to the Great Commission
The Philippines has shifted from being a mission field to a vibrant mission force, sending thousands of trained believers around the world. According to WorldVenture, over 600 traditional missionaries and 650,000 trained tentmakers—mostly OFWs—are actively involved in missions through programmes like Kairos Course.
Filipinos are often multilingual, highly adaptable, and known for their hospitality and relational warmth, making them especially effective in cross-cultural missions. Their perseverance and ability to build trust are key strengths in sharing the gospel both locally and globally.
The global Church can learn much from this movement—empowering everyday believers, offering practical training, and embracing relational approaches to missions. The Filipino experience shows that when ordinary believers are equipped and sent, they can make an extraordinary impact on the Great Commission.
Please join us in prayer:
- Pray for continued growth and maturity in the Filipino Church, that it would remain rooted in God’s Word and united in its mission locally and globally.
- Ask God to equip and empower more Filipino believers, both at home and in living abroad, to boldly share the gospel in culturally sensitive and impactful ways.
- Pray for wisdom and strength for mission leaders and organisations in the Philippines as they train, mobilise, and support missionaries across diverse regions and contexts.
Sources:
https://asiasociety.org/education/religion-philippines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_by_country
https://worldventure.com/philippines-sending-growing-number-of-missionaries
https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines
https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/06/philippines-church-us-colonialism-influence-evangelicalism
https://www.scribd.com/document/348364283/Abarkanek
https://www.sim.org/-/philippines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyOC0nAaCeg&ab_channel=MissionsPulse
