An International Congregation
The church is home to members of the Filipino Episcopal Congregation and the Japanese Episcopal Community for their separate, regional services and monthly meetings; some of their members also worship with us regularly on Sundays.

Metropolitan Filipino Ministry
The Metropolitan Filipino Ministry (MFM) is an official outreach ministry of Good Shepherd Parish. Also known as "The Fellowship," MFM is part of the Asiamerica Ministry of the Episcopal Church. It is a culturally based "Eucharistic Ministry" without walls which provides an occasion for members and their friends to gather regularly for worship and fellowship. It serves a multi-state area that includes Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Although many members are also active in their home parishes, MFM fulfills their need to gather in community to connect with their cultural roots and honor their heritage.

Our home base is the Church of the Good Shepherd. MFM meets every third Saturday evening of each month. The fellowship begins with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist followed by a potluck dinner. The food is eclectic with a heavy dose of Filipino cuisine. In addition to Bible studies, children's programs, community singing, and socialization, special events such as christenings, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., and occasional special programs accent the evenings activities.

We invite you to "come and see" (John 1: 43-51)

For further information, please call MFM Coordinators:

• Manhattan - Christina Hing (212) 677-0809
• Queens/Long Island- Lambert Sagalla (718) 932-9215
• Tony Trinidad (718) 526-4553
• New Jersey- Erwin Killip (201) 894-1611
• Jaime Masferre (973) 731-0791

Metropolitan Japanese Ministry
Metropolitan Japanese Ministry (MJM) meets on the third Sunday, 2PM at the Church of the Good Shepherd for Holy Eucharist in Japanese. Also we meet for Bible study twice a month in Manhattan. For more information please contact MJM office at 914-723-6118 or e-mail us mjm.ny@mindspring.com

Kyoko Mary Kageyama
Missioner
kokihats@prodigy.net



A Brief History of Anglicanism in the Philippines
The Philippines was acquired by the United States of America as part of the settlement of the Spanish-American War that ended in 1899. By that time, most Filipinos were already converted to Roman Catholicism by the Spanish colonizers who conquered the Philippines in 1521. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines became an independent nation.

The Missionary District of the Philippines was created by the General Convention of PECUSA in 901. Charles Henry Brent was the first District Bishop. Initially, the primary task as articulated by Bishop Brent, the Missionary District was to minister only to Americans and other English- speaking peoples. However, Bishop Brent became convinced that it was a sacred duty of the Church to assist the American Administration in “uplifting the Filipino, the little brown brother” into the 20th Century. Eventually, the Missionary District embarked on building churches,schools, and hospitals in areas where Spanish influence was minimal or absent among the indigenous non-Christian populations of the mountainous north and the predominantly Moslem south. In 1932, St. Andrew’s Seminary was opened to train Filipino Episcopalians for ministry. In 1947, the Protestant Episcopal Church of the USA entered into a concordat relationship with the Philippine Independent Church and St. Andrew’s Seminary admitted seminarians to train for ministry in the Philippine Independent Church. From 1959 to 1967, three Filipino Bishops were consecrated, and one of them became Bishop Co-adjutor. In 1988, the Philippine Episcopal Church (PEC) became an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion with a Filipino Bishop as Primate. Today, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines has 112,598 members, 359 congregations, 11 Bishops, 205 priests, 41 Deacons, and 1,216 lay Ministers. It has 19 educational and seven medical institutions (The Triennial Book Directory, 1999, Some Facts and Figures, Episcopal Church of the Philippines). It is lead by a Prime Bishop who presides over five dioceses. To put these numbers into perspective, the total population of the country is about 80 million (New York Times, Monday, May 1, 2000) the majority population of which is 90% Roman Catholic; the remaining 10% account for other Christians, Moslems, and those of other faiths.

Prepared by Christina B. Hing, April 29, 2000
Panel presentation for Language Ministries, Prov. 11, ECW
Statistics revised May 2, 2000