Isabela City is the capital and economic engine of the province of Basilan in Southern Philippines. One hour from Manila by plane via Zamboanga City and another 45 minutes by sea jet (fast craft), Isabela is part of the Sulu Archipelago under the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
There are more Christians (mostly Roman Catholics) than Muslims in Isabela City, with Muslim comprising about 46% of its population of 87,000. The Yakans, Bajao, and Samas (Malay group) are the original settlers of the city.
Isabela, when translated in the city’s chavacano language, means "devoted to God". Although not always reported by mainstream media, Muslims and Christians, in their devotion to their respective faiths, continue to fight their silent war for centuries. Moreover, Isabela has seen years of fierce fighting between the state military and the Abu Sayaff Group (ASG), an Islamic separatist group considered terrorists by many.
Because of the long-standing hostility between two opposing faiths, whether for religious or political reasons, prejudice has seeped into the lives of the people in Isabela. Even contemporary Christians here are hesitant to express their faith to a Muslim.
"The Muslims here (in Isabela) are so hard to reach... I feel that they don’t want to be friends with Christians. I remember when I was in high school I had a fight with my Muslim classmate. He was teasing me, calling me ‘coward’ and ‘dirty’, because I ate pork. Because of that experience, I didn’t want to reach out to them," said Rey Anthony, a young pastor and fresh graduate of a local bible school.
It was a memory that Pastor Rey remembered when he attended Open Doors’ seminar for local workers held on 13-17 July 2011, at the worship sanctuary of a local church in Isabela City. The seminar put special emphasis on reaching out to Muslims.
"Last night [during the first day of the seminar], I had chance to reflect on the lessons God impressed on my heart. I realized how much He loved the Muslims and that He wanted me to minister to them. I couldn’t sleep, so I called my father and cried to him, telling him these things. I knew that God changed my heart that night. All my past prejudices against Muslims were gone, and He gave me His compassion and heartbeat for them. I know there will be risks and difficulties ahead, but I should obey God," Pastor Rey testified.
Holding the five-day seminar in a place like Isabela, Basilan posed dangers to the 21 pastors, church leaders, and youth leaders who came. A conflict could break out anytime with the security level heightened; suspecting neighbours could notice and put pressure; and, travel, for some participants, could compromise personal security. Even so, the seminar had been a breakthrough, especially to David (name hidden for security), a local pastor also involved in mobilizing workers for prayer and greater involvement:
"Thank you... The seminar had opened my eyes... When I said before, ‘Use me [Lord] for your glory,’ I had no clear direction on what my goal really was. I must confess that at times, I was not sensitive to the Holy Spirit and I kept asking what He wanted me to do and what purpose He had for my life. I wanted to do something... I realized that Christ’s Great Commission was just a re-stating of God’s covenant to Abraham: He still wants to bless all nations.
"Before, I was only thinking of sharing the Good News among my own people. It never crossed my mind to reach out to other people groups (Muslims included). Now, I need to know more and experience ministering to the unreached people groups here in Basilan. But first, I have to pass on what I have learned here to my local church, so they, too, will share in my vision. I pray that God will change my lifestyle and fill me with love for my Muslim brothers here in Isabela City; not only through my words, but also through my actions."
In 2011, OD sponsored six seminars in selected cities for 180 Muslim workers, organized by a mission organization. Through these seminars, pastors in Southern Philippines are educated and equipped with biblical understanding, principles, and methods on how to carry out their ministries in places like Isabela City.
