Aldersgate Empowering Conference 2025: A Pillar of Holy Spirit Renewal and Revival for GMC Mega Manila
A powerful moment of worship during the Aldersgate Empowering Conference 2025. Photo courtesy of Aldersgate International Ministries Philippines.
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Aldersgate Empowering Conference, an annual gathering held in Baguio City since 1994, once again became a hub for Holy Spirit encounters as it brought together over 300 participants from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, the Middle East, and the United States from January 2-4, 2025. Held at the Crown Legacy Plaza Hotel in the picturesque “City of Pines,” this year’s event, themed “Stepping Into God’s Glory!” based on 1 Peter 5:10, highlighted the deep connection between the Aldersgate movement and the Mega Manila Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church (GMC).
Notably, over 70% of the attendees came from the Mega Manila Annual Conference, illustrating Aldersgate’s pivotal role in laying a Spirit-filled foundation for the young GMC conference. As Pastor Luther Oconer, conference superintendent of Mega Manila and who teaches church renewal at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, explained, “Mega Manila embodies a profoundly robust Holy Spirit DNA, largely due to the deep influence of revival movements like Aldersgate on many of its leaders and members. These movements gave rise to a people whom God called to leave their former denomination and establish what is now GMC Mega Manila. They stood firm, refusing to compromise on issues of sexual ethics, particularly affirming the power of the Holy Spirit to enable victory over sin and to bring forth holiness, as testified in the Bible.”
“Mega Manila embodies a profoundly robust Holy Spirit DNA, largely due to the deep influence of revival movements like Aldersgate on many of its leaders and members.”
Deputy Conference Superintendent Robert Parcasio leads Aldersgate Empowering Conference 2025. Photo courtesy of Aldersgate International Ministries Philippines.
Originally launched as a charismatic renewal movement within the United Methodist Church in 1992, Aldersgate International Ministries Philippines, Inc. has evolved into a vital force for church revitalization in the Philippines. Among its founders were the late Pastor Lingkod Juane and Lourdes Juane, who led Aldersgate for over a decade as executive directors. Today, several key people from Aldersgate who continue the rich legacy left by the Juanes hold leadership roles in the GMC. Pastor Robert Parcasio, Aldersgate’s president, serves as the deputy conference superintendent and presiding elder of GMC Mega Manila. Deaconess Olive de Leon, former executive director of Aldersgate, is an ordained GMC deacon, while Atty. Carlos Cao, Jr., Aldersgate’s vice president and one of its trustees, is a member of the Mega Manila Connectional Council.
Also worth mentioning is Pastor David Sablan, Jr. a regular speaker and permanent fixture at Aldersgate for almost thirty years, who serves as Mega Manila’s board of ministry chair and conference evangelist. Additionally, Conference Superintendent Luther Oconer, who have preached at the annual event a few times, pointed to his powerful experience at the Aldersgate Youth Conference in 1997 as an unforgettable turning point that led him to leave his engineering profession to answer God’s call into full-time ministry. Oconer’s connection to Aldersgate extends further through his marriage to Marion Padang, the daughter of Pastor Jose Padang, Aldersgate’s first president and one of its founding members.
Powerful Testimonies
Participants from New Life Church, Cansinala Christian Community, Keilah Christian Community, and Jesus Reigns Forever Church, all based in Pampanga. Photo by Ernesto Mendoza, Jr.
Several delegates from Mega Manila testified to life-changing encounters with the Holy Spirit during the conference. Named after Aldersgate Street in London, where John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, experienced his heart “strangely warmed” in 1738, the conference mirrors this transformative moment by fostering healing, renewal, and empowerment.
Jahjah Rivera of Keilah Christian Community in San Fernando City recounted a miraculous healing that strengthened her faith. On the first day of the conference, she experienced severe headaches, swollen eyes, and vomiting but chose to attend the sessions despite her condition. During a prayer session on the second day, she experienced an immediate and complete healing. “The presence of the Holy Spirit was so powerful in that place,” she said, describing the event as a deeply personal encounter with God that brought clarity and promises for the year ahead.
Similarly, Myrna Malonzo of Jesus Reigns Forever Church in San Fernando City shared how the conference deeply impacted her: “The teachings of Spirit-filled servants blessed me beyond measure. I experienced restoration and creativity, along with a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. This event has prepared me to embrace a new season of victory with my church family.”
“With my hands raised and my eyes lifted upward, I felt as though the surroundings grew intensely bright, as if Jesus Himself stood before me. Overwhelmed, I closed my eyes, fell prostrate before Him, and cried out in trembling, fully aware that I was in the presence of my Holy God.”
Rock of the Nations Gospel Fellowship worship team leading participants into the presence of God. Photo courtesy of Aldersgate International Ministries Philippines.
For Deaconess Ejay Lovidad, a GMC deacon, the conference was a divine appointment. “God canceled all my doubts, answered my questions, and confirmed my assumptions,” she shared. A particularly memorable moment for her occurred during the singing of “Holy Forever," where she experienced an “Isaiah 9 moment.” “With my hands raised and my eyes lifted upward, I felt as though the surroundings grew intensely bright, as if Jesus Himself stood before me. Overwhelmed, I closed my eyes, fell prostrate before Him, and cried out in trembling, fully aware that I was in the presence of my Holy God,” she described.
Josef Caja of Rock of the Nations Gospel Fellowship in Manila, one of the worship leaders, reflected on the profound spiritual renewal experienced by the youth at the conference. “Grabe po talaga naging experience naming youth sa Aldersgate! [What the youth experienced at Aldersgate was truly amazing!] Eyes were opened, minds renewed, and our hearts now long for more of Jesus!” he declared.
Pastor Tony Casuncad, pastor of Conqueror City Church, a newly added GMC congregation in Kalibo, Aklan, attended Aldersgate for the first time and described the conference as a revitalizing experience. “The vibrant worship and powerful messages reignited my passion for ministry,” he shared. Casuncad emphasized how the fellowship with other believers inspired him to grow in unity and purpose. “Each session felt like a personal message from the Lord, guiding me toward His mission with greater boldness and grace,” he added. Casuncad was one of the four pastors who flew from Aklan, made possible by generous gifts to Aldersgate.
Gelli Mariano of GMC Qatar with Pastor Emily de Leon (left) and Deaconess Sharon Caja of Rock of the Nations Gospel Fellowship. Photo courtesy of Gelli Mariano.
As for Gelli Mariano who traveled all the way from Doha, Qatar, Aldersgate was a homecoming she had long hoped for. A member of GMC Qatar, Mariano used to be part of a worship dance team from a church in Muzon, Malabon, that participated at Aldersgate during her youth days. She recounted that a few months ago she quietly resolved to attend Aldersgate, trusting in God’s provision. Without fear, she submitted her vacation leave request and, “by faith,” believed that she would receive a free air ticket. “God made a way,” she exclaimed. At the conference, she felt deeply connected to God’s love and the presence of the Holy Spirit. During the intense fire tunnel experience, she recalled, “The Lord gave me a vision of paradise. He walked with me, strengthened me, and leveled up my faith. Now, I am returning to Qatar as a new creation, carrying with me all the lessons, the double grace of the Lord, and the fire I will share with the entire congregation.” Mariano is moved to tears while recalling the wonders that God has revealed in her life at Aldersgate.
Leaders Reflect
Deputy Conference Superintendent Robert Parcasio, Aldersgate’s president for the past five years, declared the event an overwhelming success. “God did not fail our expectations for Aldersgate 2025. His glory flooded the entire conference and empowered all the attendees,” he said, noting how God satisfied the spiritual hunger of everyone present and provided revelations for their ministry journeys.
Pastor David Sablan, Jr. affirmed, “The Aldersgate Empowering Conference truly lived up to its name. Everyone witnessed and experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit through inspiring messages, powerful prayers, and joyful fellowship, equipping us to embrace the new year with renewed hope and enthusiasm.”
“The Aldersgate Empowering Conference truly lived up to its name. Everyone witnessed and experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit through inspiring messages, powerful prayers, and joyful fellowship, equipping us to embrace the new year with renewed hope and enthusiasm.”
One of the most powerful moments at Aldersgate: Deaconess Olive de Leon ministering with grace and anointing during the fire tunnel. Photo courtesy of Aldersgate International Ministries Philippines.
Atty. Carlos Cao, Jr. provided further details: “Participants experienced the exceedingly anointed presence of the Holy Spirit through vibrant praise and worship, consistent intercessory prayers, and the deeply moving and timely messages proclaimed by the plenary speakers and workshop lecturers.” Speakers included Pastors Hiram Pangilinan of Church So Blessed, Ferdinand Baga of Radiance of God’s Glory Global Harvest Church, and Mina Palomo and Cris Navarro of Life Growth, Inc. Cao added, “The conference fittingly ended with God’s command in Colossians 1:27: ‘To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’”
“At Aldersgate 2025, we truly stepped into God’s glory. The supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit filled the hall, touching hearts, renewing minds, healing bodies, and strengthening spirits,” summed Deaconess Olive de Leon who helped organized the event. She further noted, “Miracles unfolded—not through loud music or laying of hands but through pure prayers, worship, and faith declarations. Heavenly voices in perfect harmony echoed throughout, as God’s glorious plan was revealed to His people.”
Enduring Legacy
The vibrant worship, powerful teachings, and countless testimonies of healing and divine encounters that marked Aldersgate Empowering Conference 2025 is an outcome that has been so often repeated for the last 31 years. For GMC Mega Manila, Aldersgate will always remain a vital source of inspiration and spiritual growth given the interconnected partnership of its leaders. Surely, as the GMC continues to expand, Aldersgate empowering conferences will remain a cornerstone of its spiritual culture, empowering pastors, deaconesses, and laity to pursue God’s mission with renewed zeal for many years to come.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this article! Special gratitude to Pastor Oliver de Leon and Alex Dayo for providing most of the photos. Unless otherwise stated, all photos are courtesy of Aldersgate International Ministries Philippines.
