The defining moment in Doug Sisson’s life occurred at the age of 19, when Pastor Lester Wertz led him to a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Five years earlier, the gospel had impacted the Sisson household when Doug’s father accepted Christ during a revival meeting. The death of Doug’s father less than a year later brought an abrupt end to Doug’s childhood. He and his two brothers shouldered the responsibility of running the family’s dairy farm in Shawsville, Virginia, for the next five years. Then, just two months after trusting Christ, Doug left the family farm for Bible college in Oklahoma.
Doug enrolled at Oklahoma Baptist College and eventually met another classmate, Becky Thompson. Their friendship developed into romance and later marriage in June of 1985. Over the years, the family grew as four children were born to Doug and Becky. Upon graduation, Doug began teaching and coaching in the Christian school at Windsor Hills Baptist Church and in the college as well. In addition to these responsibilities, Doug became an associate pastor at the church in 1987. The missionary spirit at the church and college would prove to have a great impact on the future of the Sisson family.
Back in 1984, while BIMI missionary Dr. Rick Martin was preaching at Windsor Hills Baptist Church, Doug and Becky had both surrendered their lives to be missionaries if that was what God wanted. That seed would blossom ten years later. In March of 1994, Doug was invited by Missionary Bruce Rice to go to the Philippines and preach at a college graduation. While on that trip to the Philippines, God used a little girl that reminded him of his own daughter to call him to the Philippines. God spoke to his heart and said, “Doug, if that was your little girl, you would want someone to bring the Gospel to her.” In June of 1994, Doug and Becky were approved as missionaries serving with BIMI. They carried on their responsibilities at the church and college until May of 1995.
In September 1996, after just 16 months of deputation, the Sisson family set off for General Santos City in Mindanao, the most southern island of the Philippines. In 1996, the city had a population of 350,000 and has now grown to 550,000. General Santos City is an extremely volatile place to live and raise a family. On one evening, the family counted eight bomb explosions in the surrounding area. Extremist Muslim groups were responsible for much of the fighting. The family has learned to be careful, especially since kidnappings are not uncommon in the area. In these dangerous circumstances, God has protected them over the years and blessed them with many souls saved.
Soon after arriving in the Philippines, they started language study with a tutor and immediately started reaching out to the Filipinos. Every Friday night, they would invite children from the neighborhood to participate in Bible clubs conducted under their carport. Ten years later, many of those children are still in the church and some are even training for ministry in the Bible Institute. Then on Saturdays, they went as a family to the local market to pass out tracts and Bible portions. Jeepneys transport people from the surrounding mountains to the busy market. The family handed out the material to these people, aware of the fact that they would never see many of them again. The response of the people was at times remarkable. On one occasion, Becky gave a Bible to a lady at the market and watched as she tenderly lifted it to her lips and kissed it. She had never seen a Bible before.
After a year of language training, the Sissons started a Bible study that would eventually become Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. It was initially started with children and teenagers. Because of the persecution from the Catholic church, for the first year only three adults attended. Mr. and Mrs. Genombaga, who were parents of several of the children attending, were the first adults to be saved. They are still faithful and their whole family is a vital part of the church.
Saturdays were packed full of ministry! Doug, Becky and the children started Saturday Bible clubs. They visited different areas of the city and gathered the children, teaching them Bible verses, songs and Bible stories. Many of these children were permitted by their parents to attend the Bible classes, but not the church. They have continued to do this every Saturday over the past ten years. Now today, nearly 100 workers from the church teach and minister to over 1,200 children every week. At noon, all the workers return to the church for lunch, and then the teenagers go back out soul winning. In the evening, Doug meets with the men of the church for men’s soul winning. For the first year, just Doug and one or two others participated. Now every Saturday night, 25-30 men go visiting. This has become a vital part of the ministry and a factor in the growth of the church. Many people have been saved and baptized through these Saturday ministries.
Other ministries have also been added through the years to minister to the 400-500 people who attend the church. A deaf ministry was started three years ago and averages around ten. The teen ministry has more than 100 teenagers attending every Sunday morning. There are also 15 different Sunday school classes enrolling more than 300 people of all ages. Mt. Calvary Bible Institute was started for the members of the church and currently has 36 students. A “bus” ministry of seven jeepneys scours the mountains and city, bringing people to church. Over 30 people are involved in a personal discipleship ministry. The Triple “S” Baptist Youth Camp was begun a few years ago and currently has 12 other churches participating. The annual Daily Vacation Bible School averages over 600. Most importantly, the church’s vision also extends to the world. The believers currently support 20 missionary families.
Doug is especially excited to see the Filipinos assuming responsibility for the work. The Sissons left the Philippines recently for a scheduled furlough. During their absence, the Filipinos continued the work on their own and still averaged over 400 each week. Many people were saved and baptized under the national leadership. From the very beginning, Doug’s desire was to win people, then disciple and train them to win their own people to the Lord. As it turns out, this plan was not only scriptural and practical, but necessary. The Muslim influence makes it impossible for American missionaries to enter many areas. Reaching these people will require training and mobilizing nationals. Five recent Bible Institute graduates are even now preparing to go out and start new churches in some of these areas.
Another recent graduate of the Bible institute had a profound influence upon the ministry. Danny Celis, who was 35 years old, was single and lived with his brother, Jerry. They were both very faithful in the church ministries. Danny led the primary church and was an ardent soul winner. He drove a trisikad (a bicycle with a sidecar) for a living but used it primarily for taking people out soul winning. He had a great testimony among his workers. They called him pastor. In September of 2006, after returning home from men’s soul winning, he ironed his clothes and went to bed. During the night, his brother heard him call out and rushed him to the hospital. He died on the way of heart failure. The body was at the church for a few days until the arrangements were made to ship it back to his home island. They held services every night and 20 of his fellow drivers were saved. One of the men flew with the brother, Jerry, back to their home island. Danny had witnessed to his family many times but only received persecution in return. He had such a burden for them. His burden did not go unnoticed. At the funeral, his parents and other family members were saved!
Doug readily admits that the fruitfulness of the ministry in General Santos City is due to the blessing of the Lord and the faithfulness of people like Danny. He has asked the Lord to give him ten more years in the city. If the Lord honors that request, Doug said he “is prepared to ask for ten more.” Let us join Doug in prayer for more time…and more workers…in the Philippines.
