PHILIPPINES – A man rejected by his family at the age of nine, and forced to live on the streets to beg for food, was propelled to be an influential gang leader, who almost lost his life as a teen, due to drug addiction. He was drastically healed and saved by the power of God. After receiving salvation, he was left without parental financial support and disowned due to deciding to pursue ministry. He was then rejected and shamed, by fellow Bible Campus schoolmates, since he could not afford hygiene products; but he persevered. He became an influential bishop, who victoriously overcame spiritual attacks and poisonous snakebites because of his faith in Jesus. With the authority granted to him from heaven, he is now winning massive tribes to Jesus Christ…particularly in the mountains.

Bishop Almer Calijan, 48, Founder & Head Bishop of Kingdom Builders of Panabo International, Inc., in Panabo City, is making an impactful difference in the land. His bravery, openness, and persistence to learn the ways of the tribes as a means to effectively communicate and understand them, is winning the tribal people to Jesus Christ.

Kingdom Builders of Panabo International, Inc. Slideshow:

He has planted many churches in different provinces within the Philippines and in the tribal areas of the mountains. According to Bishop Almer, those who live in the mountains are mostly considered to be tribes and indigenous people. He shared a deep concern, which is that the people in the mountains are often forgotten or overlooked.

“I saw in my physical eyes that most of the people who labor are not going to the mountains to plant churches. But God gave me a passion to go to the mountain and preach the gospel. I equip pastors and assign pastors to the churches in the mountain.”

Bishop Almer Calijan

Bringing Salvation to the Mountains

The Worldometer states that the current population of the Philippines contains a running population of over 116 million people. Bishop Almer considers the Philippines to be strong in terms of religious activities. He shared they are very spiritual, but there is a lot of idolatry since the Philippines was highly influenced by the Roman Catholics. He mentioned that the Believers are the minority and shared the ranking of the religions based on population: Roman Catholics, Muslims, and Evangelicals. According to the Philippines Statistic Authority 2020 census, “Roman Catholics account for 78.8% of the household population, 6.4% Islam, and 2.6% Iglesia ni Cristo” (representing the Christian Church in the Philippines).

Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the mountains can be hard. There is a process that Bishop Almer and his team have to do. They first conduct prayer and fastings, and then they ask the Lord for provisions. They sometimes ride to the mountain by taking a Skylab, which is a motorbike with wings, which can carry up to 12 people.

Then, let’s not forget the most important part, which is the climb…

“Because if we go to the mountains, it’s not easy. Sometimes we walk around 6-8 hours walking, going up. Not riding anything because it’s hills. Just use your feet to walk…climbing. Carrying some sardines…noodles,” shared Bishop Almer.

He mentioned that if you go to the mountains with an offering, they can see your kindness and they appreciate that. This is what causes the tribal people to accept and welcome Bishop Almer and his team into their village. But it doesn’t stop there. Another obstacle they have to face before entering the village within the mountains is the language barrier. Bishop Almer stated that there are more than 200 languages in the Philippines in the mountains and various provinces. They have to be prepared ahead of time for the mountains and any location they go for ministry. He has to study the language so he will be able to communicate with them.

“I want to reach out to the people not yet reached out about the gospel. That’s why I’m just trying to learn more. I’m just praying to the Lord because I want to go to other places, and I want to learn their language. I study about their language and their culture. So that if we go there, I’m not ignorant about their culture and their languages. So that’s why we have a lot of studies beforehand.”

Bishop Almer Calijan

Since he learns their ways, the tribal people begin to show kindness in exchange. This includes them offering his team transportation.

“If they see that you are caring. They see that you are tired to walk, they offer you to ride their horse. You’re like the prince going to the mountain,” he jokingly shared. “We start to show them about Jesus.”

The tribal people even feed them food from their culture. Although it may be different, Bishop Almer accepts their offer to avoid offending them. It is also to help maintain the newly built trust formed so that he may have the opportunity to bring the message of Jesus Christ to the tribal people.

Bishop was happy to share that as they go to the mountains and minister under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the tribal people have received miracles with the laying on of hands. They have witnessed the sick being instantly healed, the crippled standing, the blind being able to see, and the deaf being able to hear.

“When they see the miracles, when you are going to the mountain, they don’t doubt to accept you,” said Bishop Almer. “They listen to what you are saying about them about the Lord.”

However, sometimes as healings happen, Bishop Almer stated, the crowds of tribal people in the mountains want to bow down, worship them, and make them idols.

“It is uncommon to them, so they believe if you can perform miracles, they believe you are God.”

This is due to their lack of education to understand that the miracles come from Jesus not mere human beings. So, their ministry has to explain to the tribal people that they are not gods.

Challenges & Victories Witnessed in the Mountains

Sometimes in the mountains they face witchcraft. But Praise God, Bishop Almer and his team are prepared before time; because they have fasting and prayer before time.

“We encounter that kind of powers…but we are already equipped by the Spiritual Power of the Holy Spirit.”

Bishop Almer Calijan

He shared that he experienced his body being paralyzed for about an hour by witchcraft after entering a stronghold area. He said the witches surrounded him and began to laugh. Only his mind could work. His mind began to communicate with God to proclaim that Jesus redeemed him. He claimed his healing and he said his body started to move. He said the witches fell to the ground. They were speechless. He then commanded them to speak to him. He said they automatically confessed they hated him and wanted to fight him even though they did not know him. He declared the Name of Jesus and they surrendered to the Lord. He had a church built there and now they are worshipping Jesus Christ at that very place.

Another miracle he witnessed was him being bitten seven times by a Philippine Cobra. Another time a King Cobra bit him and could not afford a doctor. He almost died. By his faith, God healed him without the medicine.

Bishop Almer’s Journey to Salvation

At 9 years old he was rejected by his family. He was brought up by his grandmother. When she died, his siblings rejected him and kept him from entering the house. He turned to the streets to survive independently and beg for food. As he grew, he was influenced by drugs and became a drug addict and a gang leader. By 17, he got very sick and was told by the doctor he had two weeks to live. They called his mom to pick him up from the hospital. She took him to the house and put him in a small room to die. He had an older sister who was a believer in Christ who came to observe. However, she didn’t come to the room for about one week. After that timeframe, she observed that none of the gang members came to visit him. She said to him, your friend is not good here in this world, but if you believe me I will give you a real friend that will heal you, help you…do you want to accept this friend?

“At this time, I needed it,” shared Bishop Almer. “So I said yes.”

He accepted Jesus into his life and received salvation. After two days, he was able to sit in the bed and his appetite returned. He realized he was healed. When he got out of the hospital, he went back to the gang of almost 100 leaders. He told them, “Starting from now on, I will not become your leader. I will leave, I want to go to the church.” He asked who wanted to go with him. 70 decided to join him. As he arrived at church, the pastor knew who he was and asked them not to make any trouble. Almer explained to the pastor that he wanted to go to the church. They allowed the group to come in and many got saved that day. He heard that seven of these former gang members are now pastors.

He began to serve God and got close to his parents and siblings. He had a dream and the audible Voice of God said to him, “Almer, I want to use you…Go. I want to use you. Go, I will use you.” That is when he decided to go to Bible School. He saw an octagon in his dreams and saw the inside design of it. This happened to be the shape and design of the bible school. He asked his dad if he could go, which was on another island two days away by boat and ship. His father said he would not support him, but he went.

In 1993, he attended an English bible school in the Philippines that was Oklahoma-based. For one whole year, he could not understand his classes because he didn’t speak English. The Holy Spirit caused him to ask his teacher for an English bible. After receiving one, God supernaturally caused him to learn English through the bible.

“I started reading from Genesis 1 in English and reading in my Cebuano in Genesis 1 verse by verse. The Holy Spirit taught me how to speak in English at the time,” said Bishop Almer.

He did not get parental financial support, due to their desire for him to be a civil engineer. Because of this, he was not able to afford to get regular toiletries to groom and clean himself. He was shunned and rejected, by many because of his odor. Even when this happened, he continued to go to class.

“I don’t have shampoo, bath soap. I don’t have any soap to use for laundry, and even toothpaste,” prayed Bishop Almer as he cried to the Lord. “Please change my life, change my lifestyle. You have called me here…I don’t have anything.”

God answered his prayer. He received help from a sponsor from Oklahoma who sent a box that included hygiene products and things turned around quickly. God began to work in his life, and he praised God every step of the way. In 1996, he graduated Bible College and started working with the Assemblies of God. He worked there from 1997 until 2010, when the organization split into two because of the leadership. Bishop Almer and his wife did not want to choose one group over the other. Instead, they wanted to maintain the relationship they had with both groups. So they decided to leave the organization.

In 2011, they became independent and registered their ministry with the Security Exchange Commission within the Philippines, called Kingdom Builders of Panabo Int’l Ministry. Before registering the name, it was called “Mega Faith,” because they lived by faith. Bishop Almer shared that faith came from their heart because they believed that God would support and supply everything they did in ministry. He prayed and sought the Lord to ask what name should be registered to make it legal. That is when the Lord answered and revealed the name, “Kingdom Builders of Panabo Int’l Ministry.”

“I want to expand the passion in my heart, to build the Kingdom of God, not to build the name of the church, but to build the Kingdom of God through our country. Not only our country, but to all the world.”

Bishop Almer Calijan

Bishop Almer Calijan’s Family & Ultimate Goal for Ministry

He is married, with two kids. His wife, Cherryl Calijan, 45, is the co-pastor and song leader, for the main church in Panabo City. They married on June 26, 1999. They met in 1994 in the youth camp when he was a bible school student, and she was in the youth in her church. This is where their connection began. His daughter, Alche Care V. Calijan, 24, serves as a youth leader and song leader within the church. His son, Joshua Tom V. Calijan, 16, serves as a drummer in the church.

His ultimate goal is to train more and provide a training center. He wanted to do it for the tribal people in the mountains to equip them. During his spare time, he does fun blogs to raise funds for ministry.

“My goal is to have more people trained for the harvest.”

Bishop Almer Calijan

If you believe in the Kingdom Builders of Panabo International, Inc. mission in the Philippines, you can connect with them by going to their website: https://rstp.weebly.com/.

This is Sharlene, reporting from Horns of Heaven Global News, letting the power of Jesus be known, by sounding the Trumpet from God’s People to God’s People. It’s all about the Kingdom of God and connecting the believers of Christ through clear communication and real-life stories told around the world! Nation to Nation…We Are One! THE LORD IS ONE. WE ARE ONE PEOPLE! ADONAI ECHAD! ANACHNU AM ECHAD!

References:

Religious Affiliation in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing). Philippines Statistics Authority. Accessed October 22, 2024. Religious Affiliation in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing) | Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines

Philippines Population (2024). Worldometer. Accessed October 22, 2024. Philippines Population (2024) – Worldometer

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