Biographical data of Julius Perez Tibon

I was born on June 21, 1960 in the city of Butuan in the northeastern part of Mindanao. My parents were poor. My father worked in a logging company with a small income. And my mother was a public school teacher. I am the eldest child of the family and I have 6 siblings. Because of our difficult situation, my parents had a hard time providing for the needs of our family, especially in the area of education. So, my parents decided to send me to my grandparents who were very devout Roman Catholics.

But, thanks be to God, in His sovereign will, my grandparents as well as my mother were converted into the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the witness and prayers of my uncle who married the daughter of an Assemblies of God pastor.

I became very active in all the activities of our church. At the age of 12, I became the president of the young people’s organization. But, what is sad is that during those times I still had not received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior because nobody shared with me the message of salvation, which is the most important thing in the life of every person.

In 1978, I graduated from high school and passed the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology Scholarship Examination. I studied in Iligan City for 2 years before transferring to the University of Visayas in Cebu City. In was in Cebu where I found my wife Beth, who was a devout Roman Catholic. On June 9, 1985, Beth and I were married. Her parents demanded that our wedding be held in a Roman Catholic Church. I felt so disappointed for I know that this is against the will of God.

Three months after our wedding, I was diagnosed with tuberculosis. I felt so hopeless and discouraged that I was not able to finish my Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering course. On top of this, I had a family who really needed financial support. My wife was the only one working, but her salary was not even enough to buy medicines for me.

In order to help support my family, I decided to work, even if that meant being away from my family. My grandparents asked me to manage their small business in Leyte. While in Leyte, I stayed in the house of my uncle who is a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. From time to time, he reminded me about the things of God and encouraged to attend the worship services of their church.

One night, prior to my departure for Cebu, he talked to me about the love of God. And I could not help but cry because I knew that the spirit of God was ministering to me. Without hesitation, on that eve of September 16, 1987, I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. Also on that night, I promised the Lord that I will go into the ministry.

The following day, I arrived in our home so excited to share my newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with my wife. I thank God that, without any argument, she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Shortly thereafter, the Lord provided me with a permanent job. The president of David Livingstone Missionary Foundation where Beth was working hired me. I could not explain the joy that I felt during that time. It was because the Lord was leading me into the ministry.

A number of years passed and the desire to obtain formal theological training continued to be impressed upon my heart. I was given the opportunity to lead Bible Studies and also teach in the Sunday school of our church. But, I felt that my knowledge in the Word of God was so inadequate and I needed to study in a seminary. However, there were factors that I needed to consider. First of all, I was working and Monday was my only day off. Secondly, I had no money to pay for the tuition fees. Thirdly, our place was 23 kilometers from the city, at least an hour’s drive away.

But, I kept on praying to the Lord that He will grant my desire to study in a certain seminary. Thank God for what He has promised in Psalms 37:4: “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” The truth of this particular verse became a reality to me when, one day, the husband of my fellow worker, and a friend of mine who was studying at EL Theological Seminary shared to me about EL Theological Seminary and the possibility of studying even during Monday, my day off from work. He also told me just to take one or two subjects so that I can pay the tuition fees. The next day, I informed the president of the David Livingstone Missionary Foundation regarding my plan to study at the seminary. Without any argument, she approved my request and gave her full support. At that moment, I was totally convinced that the Lord had called me into the ministry. And that was one of the evidences that God’s calling on me was confirmed.

In the first semester of the school year 1994-1995, I began my long journey in theological quest. At first, I had a hard time adjusting, especially since I had no theological background. But, I did I press on towards my goal which was to finish my study at the seminary. The Lord allowed me to finish my Bachelor of Divinity in March 1998.

Another sign that served as a confirmation of God’s calling to me into the ministry was that before I had even graduated from EL-TS, a Korean missionary hired me to pastor their church in the southern part of Cebu City. I worked in their church, Sae Young Presbyterian Church, for more than a year where I learned many practical things that are relevant in the Lord’s ministry and which further developed my desire to really serve God.

The Lord then brought me into another ministry. My mentor and the president of EL Theological Seminary asked me to join EL International Church, Inc., of which he is the bishop. Without hesitation, I accepted his offer, for I believed that this is the will of God for me as well as for my family.

In April 1998, my family and I joined the ministry of EL International Church, Inc. Praise the Lord! Until now, we are still serving the Lord through EL International Church, Inc. In this church, our knowledge in the Word of God is deepened and our faith in God is growing stronger. Also in this church, my family is being nurtured through the Christian Education program where we learn correct theology and are encouraged in reaching out to the lost. Through the help and prayers of the brethren of EL International Church, my children have continued their studies. And we are so thankful that our eldest daughter, Juliebeth, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree on October 25, 2008. Our only son, David, is taking up Airline Maintenance and our youngest daughter, Hannah, is a 3rd year high school student.

I was ordained by our bishop, the Rev. Dr. Gadiel T. Isidro, in May 1999 and designated as his associate pastor. Being an associate pastor, I am totally involved in all the ministries of EL International Church –Forest Hills. I am teaching one of the Christian Education classes. However, my main responsibility is the Cebuano Worship Service which began in January 2005. Our average attendance on Sundays is between 28 to 35. In May 2008, a young couple was added and they are very active in all of our church activities, including Bible studies and prayer meeting. I was very happy when Melissa, the wife, followed the Lord into the waters of baptism on November 9, 2008.

I have 4 Bible studies whose main objectives are to evangelize and nurture the attendees of our Cebuano Worship Service. My wife and I conduct visitation every week so that we will know the situation of our brethren, enabling us to pray more intelligently for them. I teach at EL Theological Seminary and supervise the on-going construction of the ELIM TRIAD Building. I am also the chaplain of ELIM TEKNON SCHOOL, a division of EL International Church. All the paperwork for the school which are required by the government are delegated to me. My wife Beth is one of the teachers of ELIM TEKNON SCHOOL. She also teaches one of our Christian Education classes on Sundays.

We are so thankful to the Lord for these varied ministries that He has entrusted to us and we pray that the Lord will continue to bless His work through EL International Church.